


Revenge of the Energy Vampire

by Bookwormgal



Category: Buzz Lightyear of Star Command
Genre: Captive, Cruelty, Electricity Loss, Energy Vampire, Fear, Friendship, Gen, Graphic Torture of Non-Organic, Kidnapping, Loves The Sound Of Screaming, No Blood, No Romance, No real Pairings, Non-human characters, Post-Canon, Post-Series, Power Draining, Predator and Prey Dynamic, Rescue Missions, Revenge, Robot in Pain, Robots, Technobabble, Technology, Torture of Robot, Vampires Should Be Scary, Villains Love Causing Suffering, Worldbuilding, darker than canon, fangs, ruthlessness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-23
Updated: 2016-11-08
Packaged: 2018-04-23 02:01:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 41,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4858895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bookwormgal/pseuds/Bookwormgal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Keeping a vampire, even an energy vampire, permanently dead is difficult. Nos-4-A2 manages to survive his apparent destruction on Planet Z and returns with a new motivation. Not galactic domination. Not energy to satisfy his hunger. No, he desires pure and simple revenge against all those who have interfered in the past. And he'll start with the one who first defied him and who keeps managing to escape oblivion: XR.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Classic Motivation

**Author's Note:**

> So as you've probably guessed by this point from my stories, I love comic relief characters. And I love doing horrible things to characters I like. But what you probably didn't know previously was that, when I watched "Buzz Lightyear of Star Command" years ago, I rather enjoyed the episodes about Nos-4-A2. 
> 
> I thought he was a creepy and threatening villain. He's a vampire-type of character that fits my traditional opinion of what a vampire should be like: cultured, ominous, dangerous, enjoys their power, and merciless. I wasn't completely opposed to the idea of a "good" vampire, but I've always felt that the villainous role should be standard. And even if Nos-4-A2 didn't win, he did have some pretty impressive results in his episodes on the show. He managed to take over Star Command in his first episode, attack an unknown number of robots in "The Slayer," inadvertently turn Parsec into a wirewolf while getting away unscathed in "Wirewolf," gain control of a large group of adaptive nanobots in "Dirty Work," and easily conquer Planet Z from Zurg and nearly enact a plan that would effectively leave him in control of the entire galaxy in "Revenge of the Monsters." Combine all that with the animalistic shriek he uses when hunting, his cultured accent when taunting, and the very descriptive and drawn-out demise he planned for XR in "The Slayer" and you're left with a very unnerving character. If his victims hadn't been robots, his episodes would have seemed even more gruesome.
> 
> So yeah, here's a story of Nos-4-A2 coming back after the events of "Revenge of the Monsters" and seeking revenge. And you can probably guess who he's after. It isn't the most original idea and the title isn't that original either (the title is meant to sound like one for an old horror movie sequel), but maybe it won't turn out too badly. 
> 
> Though it really isn't going to be pleasant for XR, just in case you need a warning about that sort of thing. Horrible and cruel things are in the future for non-organic entities. Just FYI.
> 
> I do not own "Buzz Lightyear of Star Command," "Toy Story," or any of the characters connected to them. That would be Disney, Pixar, and so on. If I did own Disney, there would be DVD and Blu-ray copies of the cartoon for sale by this point. And "Bonkers." And the rest of the "Darkwing Duck" cartoons.

The explosion barely finished echoing across red-tinged skies and the Space Rangers barely left the planet before Brain-Pod 172 scurried out of hiding. Pink and squishy with eyes attached to his brain-shaped body, he floated in a globe of clear liquid on top of a frail robot body just like all the other Brain-Pods on the planet. They truly looked liked "brains in jars."

Their temporary new boss had mostly ignored the Brain-Pods during his time controlling Planet Z, focusing solely on the Hornets and the Grubs who could build his weapon of doom. That didn't concern Brain-Pod 172.

What did ignite his attention and fascination was how Evil Emperor Zurg was sent fleeing in fear from his own planet. Such things did not happen often and were worth taking notice. Zurg may have his quirks, but he was not a pleasant person to work under and fear was the most common emotion for the inhabitants of Planet Z. But it was always the Brain-Pods, the Grubs, and poor kidnap victims who were afraid, not the Evil Emperor himself.

Working for Zurg was not really a choice since "choice" implied it was possible to select a different option. If you were on the planet, you did whatever he said. Escape was not easy. A few Brain-Pods had defected and slipped away, but it was getting harder to accomplish. For most, there was no way to get out from under the Evil Emperor's control.

But Brain-Pod 172 was not one to give up so easily. He was younger than some of the other Brain-Pods and not quite as downtrodden yet. He didn't like his boss and he finally had an idea of how to handle his problem. The pieces were scattered and fragmented, but a little exploration turned up exactly what he was searching for: the mostly-intact microprocessor of Nos-4-A2.

Zurg created the predatory robot himself, basing the idea off the legends and folk stories of the energy vampires of Vladracul IV that were said to attack the generators and the power grids of isolated communities. He'd always found the stories creepy, even if he admitted that they probably weren't real. He'd hidden the development and creation of Nos-4-A2, wanting no hint of his plan to slip out. And it did work for a while. Star Command was under Nos-4-A2's control and victory seemed certain. But then the Space Rangers managed to retake the space station and the robot essentially went rogue from that point on.

The schematics on the creation of the energy vampire should still be stored in a few of the files. And the Brain-Pods were always ordering and designing specialized parts, so he should be able to gradually gain access to the necessary components to rebuild the robot. The Grubs were usually in charge of construction while the Brain-Pods did all of the thinking involved in projects, but he was certain he could perform the work himself in secret. It would just take some time.

When he finished, there were two possible scenarios Brain-Pod 172 could use to achieve his ultimate goal for a better life away from Planet Z. Nos-4-A2 either could become an ally to help him escape or he could attack Zurg and maybe even end with their mutual destruction. The result would be beneficial for the Brain-Pod regardless.

But the first part of achieving his plan was to deal with the microprocessor. He needed to repair any damage and ensure that the memory files were still intact. Improper deactivation could cause so many issues, after all. And explosions that ripped a robot apart were certainly the improper deactivation technique. It wasn't like Zurg would have built and designed his systems to be repeatedly mangled in combat and in accidents like the robot ranger that kept following Lightyear around. Brain-Pod 172 hoped desperately that Nos-4-A2's memory files weren't corrupted or lost during damage to his systems and deactivation. He'd hate to go through a lot of trouble just to discover that the energy vampire was useless.

* * *

_**Power Levels At 17 Percent.** _

_**Run System Diagnostics.** _

_**Running…** _

_**Memory Files Intact. Artificial Intelligence Chip Model T3-P35 Intact. No Corruption Or Degradation Of Files Detected.** _

_**Power Levels At 26 Percent.** _

_**Microprocessor Intact. Primary Programming Intact. Secondary Programming Intact.** _

_**Power Levels At 42 Percent.** _

_**Detecting 89 Percent New Systems And Components Since Previous Systems Diagnostics. Servo Pump Replacement 23 Percent More Efficient. Upgraded Memory Data Banks By 34 Percent. Anti-Grav Generator 7 Percent More Efficient.** _

_**Power Levels At 58 Percent.** _

_**Sensors Recalibrating In Progress.** _

_**Visual Sensors: Complete.** _

_**Audio Sensors: Complete.** _

_**Tactile Sensors: Complete.** _

_**Chemical Composition Sensors: Complete.** _

_**Wave Frequency Sensors: Complete** _

_**Energy Detection Sensors: Complete.** _

_**Damage Assessment Sensors: Complete.** _

_**Sensors Recalibration Complete.** _

_**Power Levels at 67 Percent.** _

_**Energy Wings Recalibrating. Recalibration Complete.** _

_**Energy Wings Control Systems Online. Foreign Systems Control Broadcasting Systems Online. Virus Implanting Systems Online. Energy Draining Systems Online.** _

_**Power Levels at 74 Percent.** _

_**Systems Diagnostics Complete. All Systems Operational.** _

_**Complete Restart…** _

…

_**Power Levels at 80 Percent.** _

_**All Systems Online In 3… 2… 1.** _

Nos-4-A2 snarled as he burst off the workstation, his last recorded memory of pain, destruction, and fury. He knew he was online once again, intact and unharmed. He knew someone must have rebuilt him for some reason. But that didn't make him any less angry at his humiliating failure.

Clinging to the corner of the room near the ceiling, he dug his claws into the metal and glared at his surroundings. He spotted the one obviously responsible for his reconstruction. He could sense the flow of electricity through his robotic shell, though the organic creature inside the clear dome was far less appetizing. The Brain-Pod was cringing from the surprising reaction of the energy vampire.

He wanted something. Nos-4-A2 knew the little Zurg minion would not have rebuilt him out of the goodness of his heart. And the lack of others in the dimly-lit room suggested that the Brain-Pod repaired him in secret. He wanted something from the energy vampire, something he did not wish for his fellow minions or Zurg to know about.

If Nos-4-A2 had felt grateful for the Brain-Pod's help, he might have considered a small act of reward for his actions in restoring the energy vampire. But he did not. For beings called "Brain-Pods," they could be surprisingly foolish. He knew the Brain-Pod merely wanted to use him for his own agenda, whatever it might be. Such a thing was laughably obvious. And it had been a long time since Nos-4-A2 obeyed the will of another.

"Now calm down," said the Brain-Pod slowly.

Nos-4-A2 shrieked at him, the animalistic sound sending the Brain-Pod flailing backwards in fear. Releasing his clawed grip of the ceiling, Nos-4-A2 let himself drop briefly before activating his energy-projected wings. He swooped right above the Brain-Pod, making him duck in panic, before the energy vampire flew out of the room and into the depths of Planet Z.

He ignored the imploring calls of the Brain-Pod. He had no reason to listen. And since Brain-Pod obviously didn't want anyone to know what he tried to do, no one would know the energy vampire was back online.

* * *

Nos-4-A2 watched from the shadows, waiting for the sentries to wander by on their rounds. He'd lurked in the darker corners of the planet in the days since his revival, hidden and quietly hunting. There were certainly enough Hornets on Planet Z that he wouldn't have to wait too long for his next meal. His sensors were specifically calibrated to detect robots, artificial intelligences, computers, and energy in general. Actually, everything about him was designed to be the perfect predator. The Evil Emperor Zurg may have originally built him for a specific plan to take over Star Command, but all the programming, sensors, and unique features continued to serve Nos-4-A2 well once he grew beyond that specific purpose. He was perfectly equipped to hunt his prey.

_**Power Levels At 83 Percent.** _

At the edge of his awareness, he sensed the concentration of energy approaching. A little more focus and he felt the simple and basic AI of one of Zurg's Hornets. He smiled to himself as the delicious treat marched closer.

He watched from the shadows as the tall, armed, yellow robot stepped into view. Nos-4-A2 couldn't help chuckling when the featureless triangular face started looking around and stopped moving. The Hornet was within range to detect the subtle frequency the energy vampire broadcasted. It allowed him to control most basic technology and the artificial intelligences he'd already ensnared, but it also had a lovely side effect on robots that he enjoyed. Even those barely aware of detecting the frequency experienced the side effect. All robots with advanced enough programming would be hit with overwhelming and unexplainable fear. Even before the poor robot saw him or realized they were in danger, they were terrified. And frightened prey was far more satisfying to attack.

Searching for the source of the laughter, the Hornet turned in the perfect direction and Nos-4-A2 pounced. Clawed hands grabbed the unsuspecting robot as his fangs drilled through metal until there was a connection to the inner workings. Automatically the virus was installed, the program intended to induce obedience and loyalty to Nos-4-A2 when activated. It was particularly useful to compel silence when he didn't need screams of pain to attract attention. At the same time, he feasted.

_**Energy Drain In Progress.** _

He could drain the robot slowly and painfully, stretching the process out for as long as possible. But the Hornet's programming was too basic for proper fear responses. He'd learned that early in his existence, before Zurg sent him to infiltrate Star Command. Back then, they were the only robots he'd devoured. He hadn't known how much better it was to torment and terrorize his dinner first. Only later did he discover that pleasure, how wonderful it was to trap a helpless victim and witness their suffering. Holding such power over them and their fragile existences was nearly as invigorating as the meal itself. But only more advanced robots could respond correctly, so there was no point in dragging out the Hornet's fate. Instead, the energy vampire went for speed, draining the power within seconds.

_**Power Levels At 87 Percent.** _

The heavy, lifeless, mechanical body fell with a clang as Nos-4-A2 activated his energy-projected wings and took flight once more. With how frequently the Hornets were destroyed, no one would miss him. That would give him time to sneak aboard a ship off Planet Z.

He could take over once again, enslaving the Hornets like before. Even without XL, he could do it. Galactic conquest from there would take time and planning, but Nos-4-A2 knew he could achieve it eventually. But that wasn't his goal for the moment. That wasn't the first thought in his microprocessor when he was restored, his memories and programming miraculously intact. Even hunting down a delicious and powerful source of energy was of secondary importance this time. No, his thoughts were turned towards a simpler and purer purpose: revenge.

All of his failures flashed through his microprocessor. The girl on Tradeworld getting past his randometer. The unexpected use of plant weapons, which went against all his files about Lightyear's behavior, because the Rhizonmian scientist showed up. The betrayal of XL and the wirewolf slipping out of his control. So many unexpected variables that not even Nos-4-A2 could predict. So many unlucky moments. But there was one who he blamed above all others, the one who was responsible for his initial failure, was involved in other setbacks, and was the first to escape his power.

The Little One. The robot member of Star Command. The Experimental Ranger. The delicious morsel that kept escaping his demise. XR.

How strange that someone so unimpressive could cause so much trouble. In retrospect, Nos-4-A2 knew he should have suspected something was wrong when fragments of XR's personality continued to remain apparent even when under his power. It never happened with any other AI he ensnared before, though he'd only dealt with Hornets and such at that point. The Little One's programming was a chaotic mess that didn't make sense, as if an amateur or a group of ignorant fools later adjusted a more traditional robot's software. The disorganized, contradictory, nonsensical strings of coding scattered within the Little One's programming interfered with his hold on the robot Ranger and allowed the Little One to eventually slip free completely. It was for that reason that Nos-4-A2's perfect plan faltered.

Zurg built and programmed the energy vampire to combat Commander Buzz Lightyear and view him as the most dangerous opponent, ensuring Nos-4-A2 possessed all his knowledge on the Ranger. And when other variables did not interfere, Nos-4-A2 could defeat Lightyear. But since his first encounter, the energy vampire had added the Little One to his list of formidable threats and primary targets. Yes, he was certainly a complicated robot. XR could derail his plans or be an entertaining snack, making him a priority target either way. Whenever Nos-4-A2 encountered the Little One, he went after the robot Ranger above all other energy sources.

In the end, the Little One was the greatest cause of Nos-4-A2's problems. He was the one who deserved to suffer the most out of all of them. He was also the easiest target to handle. He would be the first to experience the energy vampire's revenge.

Nos-4-A2 already described his initial plans for the Little One back on Tradeworld, but he'd been developing it in the time since. He'd practiced on other robots before the explosion destroyed the energy vampire temporarily. He knew how to feast slowly on the Little One's power, how to cause as much pain and fear as possible, and how to finally ensure a permanent destruction of the robot's personality and memory files when he was finished. No matter how confident the people at Star Command might be that they could repair any damage, there were ways to kill even a robot.

Once he escaped Planet Z, there would be a few preparations to be dealt with before handling the Little One. He would need a secure and hidden lair that no one would pay attention to nor would want to explore. He would need a vast hunting ground, somewhere that either wouldn't attract attention when robots disappeared or would have alternate sources of power he could exploit. The Little One would satisfy his desire for causing suffering and fear, but not his hunger. Not if Nos-4-A2 wanted him to last. He would also need information, the type of information only available at Star Command. None of these would be particularly difficult to achieve for someone like Nos-4-A2.

Catching sight of one of the ships, Nos-4-A2 glided down silently and slipped past the working Grubs and a couple of guarding Hornets. With all the stealth of a hunting predator, he floated inside undetected. Chuckling to himself as he entered the cockpit, the energy vampire started the launch sequence. Even with the nearby Zurg forces, he managed to get it into the air before they could react. In less than a minute, he was leaving orbit and on his way to the more inhabitant corners of the galaxy.

* * *

The Fixer was counting down the seconds until he could close up for the night. No matter how profitable being the friendliest mechanic on Tradeworld and the one famous for always being able to get whatever part required, he was still tired by the end of the day and ready to leave for the night. His job wasn't easy and getting rare parts could be stressful, especially when he needed to use less-than-legal methods.

Shifting restlessly in his anti-grav chair, the Fixer scowled. Pale green skin, a dark blue scraggly beard, wearing his work jumpsuit, and possessing a figure that reminded some of the annoying neighborhood children of Santa Claus, he was not nearly as cheerful as his advertisements made him seem. But he was one of the best and relatively friendly by Tradeworld standards, so his customers dealt with his attitude regardless.

Unsurprisingly, most of his customers were robots. They tended to be the ones who needed a mechanic and rare parts the most often. And Tradeworld, though not exactly a secure and hospitable place to live, was actually relatively popular with robots.

While the Galactic Alliance standardized a lot of laws and regulations, there was still some that were decided on a sector-by-sector or a planet-by-planet basis and those dealing with robots tended to be some of the less standardized ones. It all depended on the jurisdiction. On some planets, all robots were treated as property. Other planets would require proof of how sentient the robot was and might award more advanced ones limited citizenship. Yet others would give the more advanced robots equal rights, privileges, and protections as any other being on the planet. Oddly enough, Tradeworld was one of the planets where an advanced enough robot could own possessions, run businesses, hold positions of power, vote, marry, adopt children, sue someone, earn degrees, pay taxes, and theoretically be protected from harm by the same laws that protected organic beings. Apparently someone realized that such rights and freedoms would attract a large robot population to the planet, who would then have to participate in commerce and pay taxes. If there was one thing Tradeworld was good at, it was finding ways to profit.

Of course, it was still Tradeworld and that meant there were plenty of people who would be happy to swindle someone at best and attack someone at worst. Some sections of the planet weren't that friendly and other neighborhoods could be downright deadly for organics and robots alike. Sometimes the Fixer sold parts to replace those damaged or lost by some criminal stealing the gyro servos right off a poor chump. Other times, he was "liberating" parts from a robot reduced to scrap in an alley. Just because some thug broke a poor defenseless robot beyond repair didn't mean the Fixer couldn't make a profit from the death. He did, after all, have to make a living.

It was already dark and raining, so he didn't expect for someone to open his door when there was literally only thirty seconds left before the end of operations that day. The Fixer groaned, but didn't even bother to look up from where he was trying to wrestle a BFM-97 microchip out of the tangled mess that used to be a Young Childcare Nannybot's microprocessor. Those chips were worth a pretty stack of uni-bucks and he was lucky the robot was knocked offline while between jobs. He'd run the serial numbers through the system and found out no one was looking for her yet. It meant he didn't have to split the profit with anyone.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a figure approach his counter. Apparently his potential customer wouldn't take the fact he was ignoring them as a hint.

"We're closed. Get out and come back in the morning," said the Fixer.

"I'd rather not," a smooth and cultured voice said. "I recommend you hear my proposal out. You may find that the arrangement I have in mind will be mutually beneficial."

The Fixer looked up abruptly, the sound startling him. He didn't get customers who speak like that very often. That sort of accent tended to be found on Capital Planet, Tangea, or another one of the snooty planets. Not Tradeworld. At least, they didn't show up often and certainly not in his place of business.

He finally took a good look at his surprise customer. He was a robot, but not of any model that the Fixer was familiar with. And he could recognize most common robots, even when modified and personalized to an extent. That hinted towards this one being a more specialized and unique robot rather than one from an assembly line.

The robot was about as tall as the average humanoid. He was one of the hovering models rather than having legs or treads. That tended to be less energy efficient, but there were fewer issues about dealing with different terrain. His body shape was more triangular, starting at a thin point near the bottom while extending towards his pointed shoulders. His head was similarly triangular, with a pointed chin and the top far wider. One of his eyes seemed to be a larger RE-76 model and the smaller a RE-54 model, giving the impression that he was wearing a large red monocle. The red-eyed glare that resulted from those particular models tended to be at least slightly ominous, which is why most people preferred robots with green, yellow, blue, or even purple eyes.

He also appeared to be wearing a cape of all things. The Fixer didn't even want to ask about that particular accessory.

"What do you want?" asked the Fixer gruffly.

The robot said, "I have heard from a few sources that you are someone who buys, sells, and repairs parts, no questions asked. Especially in regards to rare and difficult-to-obtain parts. Would that be correct?"

"Maybe. What're you looking for?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"I'm looking to help you acquire a large number of off-lined robots that you can disassemble for profit. I tend to… _find_ their powerless and lifeless bodies so often that it seems such a shame to just leave them around for curious Space Rangers to stumble upon. In exchange for information, a few small items, and a favor, I can provide a steady supply. As long as you don't ask too many questions, that is."

The Fixer narrowed his eyes at the robot. He knew a shady deal when he heard one. This was the type of offer that was rarely legal.

On the other hand, at least a third of his customers were at least a little shady and criminals' money was just as good as honest uni-bucks. That one crazy robot, XL, used to be his best customer before he vanished. As long as the Space Rangers didn't start poking around, the Fixer wouldn't mind too much.

"What kind of information do you need, my friend?" he asked.

"Lists and locations of robots that, shall we say, won't be missed if they should vanish suddenly. A high-quality and adjustable charger unit. The use of your address for a delivery or two. And a few possible locations that are isolated, empty, secure, and where sound won't carry far."

The list made the Fixer feel a little uneasy. He had a feeling that he'd have to change the serial numbers of the robots his new "friend" brought in. And he suspected that very bad things would happen at whatever location the robot chose. He didn't have the complete picture of what was going on, but he was starting to have some ideas.

But his attention to the profit margin still held sway over his decisions. He could possibly point his new partner towards other robots with valuable parts or past customers who tried to swindle him. And it wasn't like he knew for certain what the red-eyed robot had in mind. The demands weren't too outrageous and weren't actually illegal. He could still plead ignorance if the Rangers came to call.

"Tell you what I'm going to do," said the Fixer slowly. "I'll look up a few places and scrounge together a list of robots that aren't that popular in their neighborhoods. Come back tomorrow night with something I can sell and I'll see if there's enough uni-bucks for that charger unit. They aren't cheap, but I might know a guy who'll give me a decent price. After that, we'll figure out if this arrangement will work out long-term."

Chuckling darkly, the robot said, "I'm so glad that you accepted my offer. It would have been far messier and unpleasant to do things the hard way."

The shiver that went up the Fixer's spine at the laugh was outweighed by the sound of his profit expanding. This could be a very lucrative deal in the long run.

* * *

The standard-issue Star Command Guardbots had more complicated and better programming than Hornets, but not by much. They still lacked the spark of personality that made hunting so fulfilling. They were so easy enough to find and bring under his control that Nos-4 A2 wondered why he never tried it before. All he needed to do was find a prison transfer and stage an "escape," letting the random criminal flee in fear while the two unlucky robots experienced a quick couple of bites. From there, the obedient and controlled guards were able to gain access to all the information he desired and handed over a copy to their Dark Master.

Looking over the "borrowed" computer he was using to study the stolen file, Nos-4-A2 found himself being intrigued by what he discovered. His comparison to the Little One being put together by a group of ignorant fools wasn't quite wrong. Thanks to his "father's" tendency to talk about himself, he was quite aware of Zurg's theft of the Uni-Mind and how it disorganized the LGMs. What he was unaware of was how many mistakes and alterations were incorporated into XR as a result of that event, explaining the chaotic programming that his control could barely hold. And it explained why the Little One possessed so many personality traits that were contradictory for the task of being a Ranger, something no one would normally program. It was surprising he could function at all.

There were multiple schematics on file concerning the Experimental Ranger. In addition to the original blueprints of how they intended for the Little One to turn out, there were sketches showing what changes they'd discovered after the return of the Uni-Mind. The fact there were several varieties of the plans suggested the LGMs were still finding strange additions in the robot, both in the hardware and especially in the software. XR was unique, something beyond his creator's intentions. Perhaps that was why his intense reactions of fear appealed to Nos-4-A2 so much. His random programming led to stronger and more natural emotions than most robots he encountered.

A few consistent traits extended through all the various schematics. Due to the expectation that the Little One would be regularly destroyed, his body was designed to break at easy-to-repair points while protecting more important components from harm. That was why his arms and legs were often separated in explosions while his head remained intact. There were backup and emergency systems in place to keep his microprocessor protected and sometimes even online when suffering damage. In the right conditions, he could even manipulate his unattached limbs to a certain extent. And of course there was the electromagnet panel that kept his head floating while also transferring electricity to his microprocessor without the use of wires. Regardless of which plans he examined, those features remained constant.

What truly intrigued Nos-4-A2 were the power systems. In addition to using the electromagnetic panel to transfer energy to XR's floating head, there was a small amount of electricity always stored there in case of damage so that at least his memory files would be preserved. There were redundancies, backup systems, auxiliary power, and emergency cut-off systems in place to ensure that no matter what was damaged or jumbled in combat, the irreplaceable and irretrievable parts of his software were protected. His weapons also contained their own power supply rather than running off his main power source like the lasers installed in the suits, ensuring he could fight even at low energy and in damaged states. Nos-4-A2 had to give the LGMs credit for being thorough with their work. Even if everything else was smashed apart and all his systems knocked offline, there would be enough power left in his microprocessor to preserve his mind until repairs could be performed.

Of course, an energy vampire was unlike anything else that might attack the robot. Nos-4-A2's energy draining abilities bypassed all those types of features in his victims, stealing away power that would normally be protected. Only when his meal was interrupted or he chose to stop sooner did his victims retain a few amps. If he drained the Little One completely of energy, there was a relatively small amount of time before the files in his microprocessor would be lost. That was standard for any robot and one of the downsides of advanced AIs. Chance may preserve a few files in a retrievable format, but most would be lost if proper shutdown procedure wasn't followed during the loss of power. And due to the schematics describing exactly which model his microprocessor was and the detailed report on the artificial intelligence chip they designed, Nos-4-A2 could predict exactly how long the Little One could last with no power before he'd either have to recharge him or let XR essentially die.

Filing the information away for later, Nos-4-A2 pulled up a few more files on the computer. Apparently XL now worked at Star Command, serving as a photocopier, a fax machine, and performing clerical work. Big brother rejoining the side of good alongside his younger sibling. Lovely. And based off how XR's mission reports continue to address him, both of the robots seemed to view Commander Nebula as their father. Whether or not the man truly considered himself in that role was irrelevant. What did matter was how it inspired him concerning his revenge.

His revenge against the Little One could be used against several people with only a little extra effort. XL betrayed him, so he would lose his brother. Lightyear and his team opposed him repeatedly, so they would lose a teammate. Commander Nebula resisted Nos-4-A2's takeover of Star Command. Regardless of how the Commander felt about XR, his career indicated a desire to protect others from harm. His punishment for that resistance would be seeing that he failed to protect his own Rangers. As for Ty Parsec, who destroyed him while in wirewolf form, it would show him the nightmare was not yet over and remind him of what monsters lurked within the dark and within himself. Nos-4-A2 would later need more personalized revenge plots against them while also locating that meddlesome girl and the Rhizomian scientist, but it would be a start.

Shutting down the computer, Nos-4-A2 stretched out his wings. The blood-red glow filled his lair. It was time to go on the hunt once more. He hungered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, I had issues with trying to decide the exact chronological order of the episodes concerning Nos-4-A2. The biggest issue is XR's reactions to him in "The Slayer" in comparison to his other encounters and the fact they premiered the second episode about the wirewolf before the episode that showed how the wirewolf came into existence. So I'm ignoring the broadcast order of the episodes and going by the order that seems most logical to me based off character comments and common sense. That order is "Nos-4-A2" (because that's his first encounter), "The Slayer" (because his past encounter with the energy vampire left XR a little overconfident initially), "Wirewolf" (because Mira mentions "last time" when describing the first encounter with Nos-4-A2 and it was technically her second encounter since she wasn't in "The Slayer"), "Dirty Work" (because Nos-4-A2 was still at large at the end of the "Wirewolf"), and "Revenge of the Monsters" (because that's when Nos-4-A2 is blown up).
> 
> Second, I tried to devise semi-believable explanations for how XR and Nos-4-A2 specifically and the robots in general works. Mostly this comes from re-watching the show (especially the Nos-4-A2 and XL episodes) and drawing conclusions about what different robots can do and what he can't. Not to mention the different states XR ends up in when damaged. Some is pure technobabble while the rest has at least a hint of logic behind it. XR's floating head and how it got power especially gave me some trouble until I found something semi-believable. Wireless energy transmission is the transmission of electrical power from a power source to a consuming device without using solid wires or conductors. Inductive coupling or resonance inductive coupling makes use of coiled wires and magnetic fields to transfer power. Whether or not it would work for XR's floating head, it at least sounds plausible. 
> 
> And third, this story won't be as cheerful as the cartoon normally was. As fond as I am of happy endings, I am not nice to characters I like. I tend to make them suffer. But so many cartoons seemed to have no problem doing horrible and graphically violent things to characters just because they're robots and won't bleed on screen. What is the life of a non-organic worth?


	2. One Wrong Decision

"A birthday party?" said Mira incredulously, raising an eyebrow at him. "You?"

"Why not?" XR asked. "We threw one for Booster and we would have thrown one for you if your dad hadn't dragged you back to Tangea that day with guilt. You said it was the dullest party in the history of snooty, boring, and obnoxious parties, but that your dad would've never given you a moment of peace again if you missed it. And we would have thrown one for Buzz, but… Actually, I'm not even sure _when_ his birthday is exactly." He paused a moment, scratching his clear helmet thoughtfully. "I guess that's another mystery to add to the list, right under his hair color..."

The two Space Rangers heading down the hallway of Star Command were certainly vastly different in appearance. True, they both wore the traditional colors of white, blue, purple, and green to varying extents along with the Star Command logo. But for the most part, they looked nothing alike. They were also rather unique among their fellow Rangers.

Mira Nova had light blue skin, bright blue eyes, and long red hair that she was rather skilled at fitting iton her space suit at a moment's notice. She was about the average height for most humanoid species. She looked rather delicate and pretty like a fragile doll that someone might collect, but he knew that she could take care of herself in a fight. She was smart, fast, and tougher than most people realized right before she showed them exactly why she was Buzz's second-in-command on the team. And with the exception of Fop Doppler, who was still going through the more advanced aspects of the Space Ranger Academy after handling the simpler basic training without trouble, she was the only Tangean Ranger serving at Star Command. She was also the only Space Ranger who was also royalty, though that might be due to the fact that a lot of the planets in the Galactic Alliance preferred other forms of government. But she'd rather ignore her title as the heir to her people's throne and protect people directly as a Ranger.

He, on the other hand, was short, round like a cylinder, had yellow eyes, and was made of a terrilium carbonic alloy. His head, a more golden-colored metal, was made of a trinium-titanium alloy and floated above his body within a clear dome. His feet were a pair of treads and his arms had been replaced more times than Booster's stash of snacks. In fact, a large percentage of his body had been replaced over time either due to damage or loss of the different parts. It was just one of the risks of the job. Discounting XL who'd rejoined and now helped with paperwork a few floors down, XR was the only robot ranger. He wasn't like one of the dumb Guardbots with practically no personality and he wasn't just doing clerical work (though he was proud of his older brother for making a fresh start). He was a Space Ranger in every sense of the word, which was something no other robot could claim.

"Do robots even _have_ birthdays?" asked Mira. "I mean, how— how would that even work?"

Waving a hand dismissively, XR admitted, "Okay, it wouldn't be exactly a normal birthday since the LGMs designed and put me together over a period of time. But there was _still_ one particular day I was brought online and it isn't fair that everyone else gets a birthday."

"And you didn't mention this last year because…?"

"We were busy that day and not long afterwards there was that party for you and then the whole Fop Doppler incident came up…," he explained, trailing off briefly before shrugging. "There never seemed to be a good moment to bring it up with everything else that was happening. But this year, I thought I'd bring it up early so that maybe there'd be time for a birthday party. It would be fun."

Pausing in the hall, Mira gave him a suspicious look and said, "You just want to cash in on the presents, don't you?"

"Me? _No_ ," he denied, waving his arms dismissively while trying to look innocent. "Why would you think that? Me, trying to arrange a party just to get free stuff? Does that sound like something I'd do?"

Her brief silence in response made her thoughts very clear on the matter, especially when combined with how she crossed her arms and glared down at him incredulously. XR did his best to maintain his expression of innocence even in the face of doubt. If he'd learned anything during his various poker games, it was that never let anyone think you're bluffing.

"You already told Booster, didn't you?" she said finally.

"The big guy is already stockpiling decorations," admitted XR. "He's so excited about the idea. You wouldn't want to disappoint him, would you?"

Clasping his hands and looking at her with the most pleading look in his eyes, he waited for her to cave. If she wouldn't agree to the idea for his sake, she certainly would to keep Booster from being upset. No one liked crushing the big guy's hopes and dreams. He was just too friendly and good-hearted for anyone who wasn't evil to purposefully hurt.

"Fine," Mira said grudgingly. "But don't expect any spectacular presents. I'll get you something cheap."

"Deal," said XR cheerfully.

Once more continuing their journey down the hallway, she asked, "So when exactly are we having the birthday party?"

"In almost exactly five weeks," said XR. "That'll be the day I was officially activated for the first time. And golly, was that a busy day. I mean, meeting Buzz and Pops, getting sent on my first mission to the LGMs' home world, trying and failing to stop the theft of the Uni-Mind, and then getting completely destroyed for the first time by a disguised Warp. That last part _certainly_ demonstrated a future trend."

"Wait," Mira interrupted. "That was the day you were first activated? That was— that was just about a day before I met you. _That's_ your birthday?"

"Yep. Almost two years ago. Of course, that was before my charming personality was added. I mean, I was _dull_ back then. All I did was mimic others and didn't have any opinions of my own. I couldn't even think of anything to say. I am so glad that I'm past that stage. It would've annoyed the whole team in no time."

"As opposed to now?"

"Ha ha," he said dryly.

Chuckling slightly, she said, "Sorry. But really? You're only about two years old, XR?"

"Hey, it isn't like robots have childhoods. We go from a box of parts to a Space Ranger as soon as the LGMs finish construction. And considering how fast technology changes and upgrades, a lot of robots would be obsolete in a couple of years. But not me. I'm still ahead of the curve."

"You're certainly something," said Mira, touching the clear helmet around his head briefly.

He'd considered telling his teammates before that was pretty much the one place he couldn't feel when they touched it. The LGMs installed their tactile sensors just about everywhere else on him, including inside his chassis since it would add another method to notice when something was going wrong, but they apparently couldn't add them to the clear helmet without interfering with the transparency of it. From his head to his treads, he could feel physical contact, temperature, differences in texture and density, and (unfortunately) pain. But when they touched the clear helmet, he couldn't feel anything. And since he was so much shorter than his teammates, a hand on top of the helmet was one of the easiest methods of touching him for whatever reason. But since sometimes it was meant as a sign of affection or reassurance, he didn't want to say anything. He appreciated the gesture regardless and would never risk losing some form of attention.

"I better go help Buzz finish his report," she said after a moment. "I told him I'd cover the part where we separated to deal with that Welcherian Killer Bats."

Shuddering slightly, he said, "Thanks. Those things were creepy. At least I only lost my left arm."

"You got it back eventually," said Mira. "You even reattached it before we made it back to the ship."

"That doesn't make it fun," he muttered.

Smiling, she said, "Like I said, I'll go handle our half of the report. Why don't you go down and visit XL? I'm sure he'd like an invitation to your birthday party."

Perking up at the idea, XR nodded and said, "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Thanks."

The pair reached the point where they would have to go their separate ways. Mira turned left while XR turned right. Before long all that was left was the familiar sound of his treads turning and his thoughts.

The Welcherian Killer Bats were creepy. Giant flying creatures with sharp teeth, a piercing shriek, and a very territorial nature, they tended to attack anything and everything that got too close to where they lurked. They were also annoyingly tough, taking multiple hits to get rid of them.

No one was really fond of them, but XR had his own reason for not liking them. The sound and the shapes of their wings reminded him far too much of an old enemy who liked to swoop after him in the past. Even the knowledge that _he_ was gone and would never return didn't stop the momentary terror that raced through him when he heard the animalistic shriek and caught a glimpse of the shape flying out of the shadows.

Stubbornly pushing that particular trail of thoughts to the back of his microprocessor, XR instead tried to focus on the present. Now was not the time to worry about monsters from the past. Instead, he was simply going down a few levels to see his formerly-evil older brother who repeatedly tried to destroy him. That was a much cheerier thought.

* * *

He could admit it now, safely and happily rolling around the office space of the lower levels of Star Command, that he hadn't always made the best decisions.

He'd tried, of course. He'd tried to be the best, someone that Dad could be proud of, but it never seemed to work out how he wanted. Some of it might have been due to his over-enthusiasm when it came to early testing, turning "shoot all targets" to "all of them are targets, so shoot them." Apparently the LGMs programmed him a little more aggressive than they originally anticipated and artificial intelligence chips weren't nearly as advanced a decade or two ago as they were in the present.

And maybe stealing parts to build a better body and nearly dicing Dad like a bunch of vegetables for a Rhizomian's salad wasn't the best actions to take right after being reactivated, but everyone knew that there was the possibility of data corruption if you kept a robot offline for that long. It was bound to lead to some poor decision-making and a few personality flaws. But he just wanted to prove himself, to show everyone they were wrong to turn him off. He wanted to show they were wrong that he couldn't do something right. And he wanted to show them that he was better than the robot they built to replace him, the little brother who took what should have been his place in Star Command.

From there, the poor decisions continued. Ripping parts from his sibling to make himself better, nearly blowing up Star Command, and then teaming up with a creepy energy vampire of all people were all ideas that seemed reasonable at the time, but turned out to be failures and sometimes fairly dangerous. It was a mess.

And through it all, Dad never seemed to see that he could do something right. Dad never saw anything but a giant failure. He knew he couldn't get his affection, but he'd hope to impress him or get his respect or scare him or _something_. But all he ever seemed to see was XL, the robot who couldn't even get one thing right. XL, the robot who would always dwell in his younger brother's shadow. XL, the Extreme Loser.

He'd hated that. He absolutely hated how impossible everything seemed. He could build complex machines, design impressive security systems, and yet couldn't get a single plan to work. And he could never seem to be more than a complete failure.

But then Lightyear somehow managed to turn everything around just by talking. The Ranger saw something worthwhile in him, the potential to be more than the failure that was turned off for decades. He and XR pointed out the dangers of working with Nos-4-a2, asked him to help stop the energy vampire, and invited him back to the side of good. And it worked. The plan worked and Nos-4-A2 was stopped. It was his first true victory and it felt good.

And it kept getting better. He was back at Star Command. Granted, he was pretty much on probation for all the crimes he'd committed and he wasn't allowed any weapons for at least a few years, but he was back. He was also doing important work that he was actually good at.

His giant mismatched body stored away somewhere, XL now controlled a photocopier/fax machine body with a sturdy tread for movement and thin arms for filing. It wasn't as powerful or as dangerous as his old body, but it was perfect for his new clerical work.

"XL, sweetie, I need you to make some copies of this for our files," said a voice from the next station. "You know I like to keep physical records."

"Sure thing," he said, rolling towards her quickly.

There were only a few people who worked on this level of Star Command, most of the bureaucratic aspects actually located on Capital Planet to avoid potential disruptions from various attacks. The ones who chose to work on site were those who went through the entire normal Ranger training and could certainly hold their own in a fight, but preferred to handle paperwork for whatever reason. XL's favorite coworker, however, was Lana Celeste.

Originally from Yavina, she was sweet, friendly, and cuddly. She was probably about a head shorter than Lightyear in height and probably about his age or a little older. She wore her black hair short enough that it curled around her fin-shaped ears like tiny coils while her skin was a pretty shade of lavender. Her eyes, all four of them, were a nice shade of green and were always so cheerful.

But the best part about Lana was how she treated XL and the other four people who worked on the paperwork on the space station. When she met him, already in his new smaller body, she instantly wrapped her arms around XL, declared that he was the cutest and sweetest thing she'd ever seen, and told him to ask her if he had any questions or trouble with anything. She was just so nice and encouraging. She brought her co-workers cookies that she baked and brought him oil. She would make sure no one overworked themselves and she kept a blanket under her desk in case someone got cold. And whenever someone tried to attack Star Command, she would usher everyone towards escape pods or the ships while blasting whatever was the current threat, her accuracy and enthusiasm mildly alarming. She was great. It was exactly what XL imagined it would be like to have a mom.

Taking the offered forms, which appeared to be discussing recent costs for replacement parts for one of the ships, XL happily started making copies. Since Lana liked to have everything in triplicate, she didn't even have to ask for a specific number of copies. He already knew. The robot smiled to himself proudly as he then arranged the new copies so that the pages were in their proper order.

As he set the stacks of paper on her desk, Lana smiled at him patted his shoulder. Or at least the point where his arms attached to his photocopier/fax machine body.

"Thanks so much, sweetie," she said. "You help out so much around here. I don't know how we managed to get anything done before you came along."

As XL basked in her praise, a voice behind him said, "I know I like him here better than when he was running around the rest of the galaxy causing trouble."

Turning to look, XL said, "Hey, baby brother. Did you come to visit?"

"A _short_ visit," said XR, joining the other robot and patting him on the head. "How are things going down here in bureaucracy world?"

"Great," he said honestly. "I don't get to blow anything up or shoot at anyone or break into places or steal cool stuff or… Where was I going with this?"

"You were talking about how you liked it here?"

"Right. I don't get to do a bunch of things I used to do, but I really like it here," said XL. "Everyone is so nice and Lana keeps saying I'm doing a great job with everything she asks me to do. And when we need to send paperwork to Dad, she lets me take it to his desk sometimes so I can see him."

"Sounds like she's keeping an eye out for you," he said carefully.

XL grinned smugly. On XR's first visit to the lower level, XL was quick to drag his younger brother aside and told him not to flirt with Lana. He knew XR liked chatting with any and every pretty female who crossed him path, but Lana Celeste was _off limits_. She was XL's not-quite, sort-of, almost substitute mom. He already had to share Commander Nebula with XR. He didn't get Lana too. And even if he was smaller than before and didn't have any weapons, XL's temper could still flare up enough to create a slight intimidation factor. So XR was apparently accepting his older brother's request.

"Listen, XL, I did have a reason to come down here other than to just say 'hi'," XR admitted. "Booster and I are starting to organize a party in about five weeks. A birthday party for me. And since you aren't trying to destroy me and all of Star Command anymore, I thought you might like to come."

"Really? That would be great. I've never been to a party," he said before pausing to think. "Well, I might have _crashed_ a couple of parties, but that was mostly when I was trying to steals something. But this is definitely the first one I was properly invited to."

"Sounds like a fun idea," said Lana, leaning over from her desk and apparently having listened to the entire conversation. "If you haven't made invitations for it yet, maybe XL can help."

"You might have to fight with Booster for the job, but sure," said XR. "And you're welcome to come too, Lana. I wouldn't want you to feel left out. I accept both presents and gifts of uni-bucks."

She laughed lightly and said, "I'll keep that in mind." Reaching for another stack of papers she'd been working on, she asked, "When you're done visiting, could you be a dear and take this to Kyle? He said he needed the mission reports about the Beta Quandrant from this month."

"I was about to head back up anyway," said XR. "I'll let you get back to work. Have fun."

"Thanks. I will," XL said, waving as his sibling rolled back the way he came.

"So if his birthday is in about five weeks, when is yours?" asked Lana as she handed him the stack of papers.

"I'm not sure. I can't remember the exact date. I wasn't exactly at my best back then and my noggin got a little screwy while shutdown for so long," he admitted. "I kind of forgot a few details like dates."

"That's all right, sweetie. I can find out for you. I'll just take a look in that file about you."

"Um… I don't know if Pops gave everyone access to that."

"Don't worry. I used to be a great hacker when I was a kid," she said sweetly. "I can find any piece of information in Star Command's systems that I want."

* * *

With his formerly-evil relative now properly invited and the family visit over for the moment, XR contemplated what to do with his spare time. They'd finished their last mission more quickly than expected and he'd managed to slip out of the paperwork this time, so he had a little time on his hands. He could go join Booster in the cafeteria. The big guy was undoubtedly already into his second or third helping. He could continue his pursuit of family time and see if Dad was busy. Or he could see if there was a poker game anywhere that he could join. The last one certainly held some appeal. He might have to leave the space station, though. They were getting better at tracking down gambling onboard. But he had a few hours, so it might work out.

Now it was only a matter of tracking down a game that he could join that wouldn't kick him out on sight or worse. Some people just didn't like the idea of a Space Ranger gambling with them.

Abruptly his thoughts were interrupted as he noticed a pair of Guardbots were standing in front of him and staring. Of course, they always seemed to be staring. Plants had more personality than them. There was a reason that XR preferred spending time with organics than the other robots on the station. With the exception of his brother and the robotic 42 (who he avoided as much as possible), most of them were like the Guardbots. Great for dragging crooks away, but not so great for conversation.

"Do you guys need something?" he asked bluntly. "Because if not, I have better things to do."

"Message," one of them managed to state in a dull tone.

"What message?" XR asked.

The Guardbot handed over a sealed envelope. Then the pair left without even something resembling a "goodbye." They certainly weren't the friendliest robots out there.

Ignoring their abrupt exit, XR opened his letter. After a moment of reading, a smile formed on his face. Apparently "Black Hole" Billy was having a high-stakes poker game and was inviting as many people as possible. It was just the sort of distraction he was hoping for. There were even an address and directions to where the game would be. He'd have to head to Tradeworld, but he was essentially off-duty for the moment and he had the time. He could go, win some uni-bucks, and make it back before anyone noticed. It was perfect.

What could possibly go wrong?

* * *

Everything was going wrong.

XR looked between the letter with the directions to the address and his map of Tradeworld, trying to figure out where he was supposed to be going. It really shouldn't be this hard to track down the poker game. Even if it was apparently taking place a little off the more populated streets, he should be able to find the place.

So far, however, he was wandering the nearly-deserted neighborhood without a clue if he was getting closer. And even worse, the overcast skies looked like they would start pouring down rain at any moment. It made the shadowy streets of that part of Tradeworld seem even darker and more foreboding.

"Couldn't they have picked a nicer location?" he muttered to himself as thunder crackled over head. "Maybe a neighborhood _not_ called Killerville? I mean, is it too much to ask? They could have gone for West Killerville. It's a suburb. _And_ the streets are more clearly marked."

Peering closer at the directions, XR reluctantly turned down one of the alleyways between two buildings that appeared to be either "mostly abandoned" or "condemned and likely to crumble at any second." He wouldn't put it past someone to host a poker game in either of them, though. It was Tradeworld, after all. You could find just about anything you might want, but you could also get robbed blind. It all depended on where you went and who was in the area that day.

Lightning flashed and XR startled briefly, a shape it illuminated catching his visual receptors. But when he looked more closely, he didn't see anything. Just a wall with some graffiti that Buzz would undoubtedly start commenting on, talking about vandalism and such. The figure he saw must have just been a trick of the light.

"Calm down," he said quietly as the distant thunder rumbled. "You're being way too paranoid."

Still, he couldn't shake the feeling now. A quiet and uneasy dread that something was lurking in the darkness just out of sight, a threat that he didn't want to name. Facts and logic told him that everything was the same as it was a few moments ago. But something else was nagging at him, warning him of a terrible danger that was far too close. There was something wrong.

"You know, even if I manage to find the poker game now, I won't have time to actually play more than a couple of hands," XR said slowly, folding up his map.

Another bolt of lightning briefly lit up the alleyway and he jumped, dropping the map. The shape from before, a far too familiar figure, once again appeared just out of the corner of his eye. Turning on the lights in his eyes, XR turned to shine them at where he thought he saw _him_. But once again, there was nothing there.

"You're just seeing things. It's dark and stormy and you're getting freaked out over nothing," he muttered. "There's nothing there. He's gone."

Thunder rumbled and crackled from somewhere high above. XR quietly resolved to just turn around and head straight back to Star Command. He was certain that the poker game would have been boring anyway.

Another light lit up the dark alleyway, but it didn't vanish after a second. And it wasn't lightning. It was a red glow, one that was coming from directly behind him.

"Come to me, Little One," a voice coaxed, sending the robot ranger into a terrified panic.

Clawed hands grabbed him from behind as he began to scream, twisting him around abruptly. XR found himself face to face with a red-eyed and fanged vision of his nightmares.

Nos-4-A2.

He only had a nanosecond to wonder _how_ before the energy vampire lunged. There was a brief sting and then _pain_. All-consuming pain that tore and ripped at everything inside him, shredding and pulling away at him.

_**Error. Severe Power Loss In Progress.** _

Not again. Please, not him. XR felt his electricity torn away from his systems until his self-awareness fell away, knocking most of his systems offline.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so XR is now in the grip of a dangerous and malicious predator who wants revenge. That's practically the definition of not good. Things will certainly get far worse before they get better.
> 
> I also wanted to at least show how XL is doing now that he's joined the side of good again. Both he and XR have father issues of some kind in the show. XR wanted love and affection from Nebula (regardless of how many times he claimed not to be his father) and often annoyed him with his enthusiasm. But he'd do just about anything to make Nebula proud. XL reacted differently with his father issues. He'd rather show Nebula what a mistake he made shutting him down in the first place and trying to impress/punish him with his antics. But the instant he gets a pep talk from Buzz and a little positive encouragement, XL betrayed Nos-4-A2 and helped Team Lightyear to save the day. I thought he deserved someone encouraging and supportive in his new role, so I created Lana Celeste as a co-worker who also serves as Team Mom for those who do clerical work with her.


	3. Loss of Power

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I warn you now. Things are about to get a bit darker. Granted, the victim is a robot and that means not a lot of gore or anything. But it will still be kind of creepy and unpleasant if I've done my job right. So be forewarned of that fact. This whole chapter is when things really go downhill and get darker than what would have appeared on the cartoon.

He bit the Little One eagerly, not bothering to compel his prey silent for once. He'd chosen his hunting grounds well. No one would respond to the pained and terrified scream in the alleyway.

_**Energy Drain In Progress.** _

Well, no one except Nos-4-A2 himself as the sound and the struggles of the robot in his claws sent a wave of excitement and pleasure through the predator's systems. He was attracted to all forms of power and that included power over others. The fear, the pain, the helplessness of his prey, and the knowledge that he held complete control over their fates was intoxicating. He'd known from his first encounter with the Little One, the first robot he met that could react with intense fear, that energy was not enough to satisfy him. Even compelling and controlling other robots, while pleasant and entertaining, didn't have the same overwhelming thrill as terrifying and tormenting his victims. He wanted to make them suffer, beg for mercy, and lose all hope before they succumb. When stealth or speed was an issue, he couldn't enjoy it properly. But this time, there was nothing to stop him.

But as the scream died down and the limbs stilled, Nos-4-A2 forced himself to pull away. He could still sense a few amps moving through his body, but most of the Little One's systems were down. He could have drained more and he certainly could have done it more slowly, though he'd tried to take his time a bit. But this was only meant to stop the Little One. He wouldn't be escaping for the moment and the energy vampire didn't want to risk off-lining him yet.

Carefully prying open the robot's service panel, Nos-4-A2 resisted the urge to resume his meal. With less metal between him and the motor, wires, the main power cell, and the circuits, he could more easily sense the precious few joules left inside. It would be so easy to finish his meal. The Little One was so vulnerable and exposed. The temptation was difficult to resist, his hunger not completely sated. But the memory of his fear and pain along with the knowledge he could have _more_ strengthened his resolve. Reaching his clawed hand past the important and exposed innards of the robot, the energy vampire grabbed the component he was searching for and wrenched it out.

With a snap of tearing wires, Nos-4-A2 pulled the component out of XR's chest. Squeezing tightly, he felt the emergency tracking beacon crack and shatter in his grip. Now no one would find their missing Ranger until after Nos-4-A2 was finished playing with his food.

Now that his most immediate concern was dealt with, Nos-4-A2 closed the panel and took flight with his captive. The path he took to his lair was rather indirect, relying on dark alleys and abandoned buildings for cover. He flew quietly with his burden, taking care that no one would spot him. There would be no witnesses to tell the Space Rangers where to look.

Finally he slipped into the long abandoned robotics factory, the irony of his chosen lair amusing Nos-4-A2. And because the original owner of the property sometimes needed to hide his less-legal actions, there was a hidden underground chamber that the energy vampire had prepared specifically for his guest.

Sliding open the hidden door and floating down the stairs, Nos-4-A2 tossed the non-responsive robot on the work bench. Pulling up the schematics on the computer on the far wall and grabbing the box he'd left specifically for the task, he set to work.

Ripping off the jetpack came first. Grounding the Little One would make escape far less likely. Then he tore out the attached blasters, draining the weapons of power individual afterwards. There ended up being quite an arsenal tossed in the box. Next, he yanked out a hammer, an icemaker, a signal jammer, and a variety of attached additions the robot could activate, ranging from practical to nonsensical. Even with his rough removal of the Little One's connected devices, Nos-4-A2 made sure not to do too much damage in the process. A little breakage was fine, but the energy vampire couldn't be too excessive. No reason to risk breaking something vital before the time came.

Once the connected extras were torn out, he started emptying the rest of the storage compartment. There was certainly a large cache of items. Magazines, a deck of cards, a handheld video game (with batteries he quickly snacked on), a rubber raft just waiting inflation, a few uni-bucks, a framed bureaucratic form of some kind, a yo-yo, and other random objects were pulled out and dumped into the box. It took some time to empty the compartment, but he eventually ran out of storage items.

The next step was one he'd developed through experimentation, learning what suffering beyond power loss he could induce. Nos-4-A2 reached towards the Little One's motor, letting his claws trail down the metal surface until he reached the oil pan. With a smile, he stabbed straight through the thin wall and watched as the oil poured out the punctures. Shaking the dark liquid from the tips of his claws, Nos-4-A2 waited until the dripping finally stopped. Robots needed oil to keep their motors or engines running smoothly, the lubricant keeping the parts from grinding together, overheating, and tearing itself apart. Any moment the Little One was online would now cause stress and damage to his motor. It was just another painful little touch to ensure the perfect revenge.

After shoving the box into a distant corner, Nos-4-A2 carried the robot to the mad-scientist-style reclining exam table. It was amazing what someone could order from a catalogue. Transporting it from where they delivered at the Fixer's place was mildly troublesome, but certainly worth the effort. The table was exactly what he needed. There were even thick cuffs to bind arms and legs, adjustable to any proportions, including the Little One's height.

The energy vampire strapped him into place, but Nos-4-A2 wasn't going to take any chances this time. Taking a tool from his work table, he drove metal bolts through the flexible portions of XR's arms straight into the table. Then he repeated the process through the similarly flexible (though slightly more durable) portions of his legs, thoroughly pinning him to the exam table. Even if the cuffs were unlocked, the metal bolts through his limbs would hold. There was no way to escape without ripping chunks off his arms and legs, which would further hinder attempts to flee.

Nos-4-A2 took a final look around his lair, trying to spot any preparation he might have missed. His revenge had to be perfect. He'd been planning for too long to let any details slip past. Once he was satisfied, Nos-4-A2 floated back to his work table where a camera and a charger unit awaited usage.

"Lovely," he said. "Let's get started."

* * *

While slightly higher voltages applied to a normal electrical system of a robot felt rather nice, a very high voltage applied to someone with low or no power was less pleasant. Like the difference between a relaxing massage and being hit by sledgehammers. It helped when a system needed to receive a transfer of a lot of power immediately, but it wasn't fun.

So when his return to awareness was heralded by his body being blasted with electricity, XR couldn't help yelping in pain and surprise. The power held quite a kick to it and burned through every circuit. Every system was jolted roughly back on and struggled to return to a more normal operation. The shock only lasted a few seconds, but it left him in a stinging pain and all of his systems and sensors frazzled.

_**Power Levels At 18 Percent.** _

"Ow," he complained. "What happened?"

When XR tried to hold his aching head, he realized he couldn't move. His arms strained, but something held them in place. They were stretched out on either side, something wrapped around the wrists and then other points along his arm were just… stuck. Panic began to build. As his systems settled down from the jolt, XR focused his eyes on his surroundings.

Dimly lit and bare walls, he seemed to be in room about the size of 42's cockpit and designed more for security than comfort. There were no windows or doors in view, though it was possible that they were behind him. In front of him was a computer console, a large blank screen taking up a lot of space. There also seemed to be an ancient filing cabinet, battered and rusted, with something relatively small on top. Looking down, XR saw that he was cuffed to a metal exam table currently tilted at a forty-five degree angle. More unsettling was the metal bolts someone took the time to drill through his arms. It didn't take a genius to realize he was in trouble.

About half a second later, a few more systems straightened out and XR realized something was wrong.

_**Oil Pressure Outside Of Safety Parameters. Oil Levels Dangerously Low.** _

_**Error. Unable To Access Attachment Function.** _

_**Error. Unable To Access Attachment Function.** _

_**Error. Unable To Access Attachment Function.** _

He knew he shouldn't be low on oil yet, especially not to the levels that would result in that warning. And he couldn't activate any of his attached gadgets. His weapons, his jetpack, his welder, nor anything else that should be connected to his systems. They were just… gone.

Something or someone reached inside and took them out. Not neatly and carefully removed since that would register differently to his systems. This was more visceral and primitive. They were torn out of him when he wasn't even awake enough to resist or complain.

He felt hollow, eviscerated, and violated. And just completely uncomfortable in every sense of the word. This was different than the LGMs or his teammates fumbling around to repair damage. This was someone pulling him apart when he couldn't even fight back, ripping out his pieces like some uncivilized savage. He'd rather be blown up again.

Then his recent memory files reasserted themselves and XR went into a complete panic.

"No, no, no, no, _no_ ," he muttered frantically, trying to pull himself off the table even at the risk of tearing his limbs off. If he needed to breathe, he would be hyperventilating by that point. "Not him. This can't be happening. He was destroyed. I saw him. He can't be back."

"And yet here I am, my Little One," said a smooth and terrifying voice.

Turning his head, XR spotted the figure that haunted his nightmares. The monster he feared most was just hovering to his left, obviously just waiting for the ideal moment to make his presence known. He grinned nervously as Nos-4-A2 replaced the charger unit in his hand on the table beside him. That certainly explained the jolt of power that woke him up.

As the energy vampire floated closer, XR's motor raced in fear. And then he flinched at the grinding, rough, unpleasant sensation in his chest that resulted. Right. Dangerously low oil levels.

"Now, now, Little One, don't burn out your motor quite yet," said Nos-4-A2, dragging his claws along XR's clear helmet. "We've just got started. You wouldn't want to cut our visit short."

"I don't know. A short visit might be better. I should probably get back to Star Command before they start wondering where I am," he rambled, trying to keep at least some of the panic out of his voice. "Maybe we could get together again in a few months instead. Or a few years. That would be better. That would be a much better time for us to catch up and visit."

His claws lazily trailed down the robot's clear helmet, onto the metal of his body, pausing briefly by the two holes he'd left before, and finally stopping on top of his service panel. XR couldn't help shuddering at the unwanted physical contact and the soft sound of metal scraping lightly against metal. The energy vampire's touch brought back memories of every other encounter with Nos-4-A2.

He hated it. He needed to get away. It made his circuits anxiously buzz with his restored energy. Every shred of coding in his microprocessor was screaming at him to escape somehow. His arms and legs pulled and twisted against everything that held him in place with no effect.

"Don't resist Nos-4-A2, my Little One," said the energy vampire. "We both know how this will end."

"With you being arrested and locked up in PC-7?" he suggested hopefully, grinning nervously at the robot of his nightmares.

Chuckling darkly, Nos-4-A2 said, "I doubt it. Do you recall what I said I would do to you when we were last alone? That lovely time on Tradeworld?"

He remembered. Nos-4-A2 carried him underground, away from Buzz and Savy, and trapping him with the lifeless robot bodies in his creepy lair. He remembered the dread and the desperate hope for rescue, clinging to the knowledge that Buzz always showed up just in time. And then Nos-4-A2 described in vivid detail his intended revenge. He remembered.

"Sorry, I can't remember," XR said.

"Don't worry, Little One. I'd be happy to remind you of my words. I said that I would drain your energy slowly so you'd feel every amp as it left your body and that once you were nearly offline, I would recharge you and do it all over again."

"Oh right… That sounds vaguely familiar," he whimpered.

Tapping his claws on XR's service panel, Nos-4-A2 licked his fangs with his forked tongue and leaned over him. XR cringed back as much as possible with how he was restrained. His head even clinked softly as it hit the back of his clear helmet. Once again his motor raced as he panicked and the uncomfortable grinding intensified. It took him a moment to realize that his treads were spinning uselessly, fear causing him to unconsciously try to flee.

"I've been considering my plans for revenge on you for quite some time," continued Nos-4-A2.

"You really should get a better hobby. Might I suggest knitting or flower arranging. Or yoga. I hear it is a great method of stress relief. You should give it a try."

He could hear the near hysteria in his voice as his words fell flat. Nos-4-A2 was prolonging the wait intentionally, letting his dread and terror build. XR knew he was doing it on purpose. Part of him hated the wait, anticipating the horror to come. The rest of him didn't mind putting off the attack as long as possible. Because there _would_ be an attack. Help might come eventually, but not yet. Until someone realized he was missing, he was utterly alone with the monster.

No one would save him in time.

Ignoring the interruption, Nos-4-A2 said, "I eventually decided my original plan just wouldn't do."

"That's good, right?"

"Draining you twice just isn't enough," he continued, pushing back his cape. "No, my Little One, your pain will not end that quickly. And luckily for you, I've been practicing. Why do you think my lairs always have those powerless robots stashed around? I needed to keep them somewhere I wouldn't be interrupted. I once kept a robot from permanently going offline for about two days by being careful." Tilting his head thoughtfully, he said, "I wonder how long you'll last."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Nos-4-A2 struck. Fangs drilled slowly through metal, prompting a shout of shock and pain from XR. Did he have to bite a new spot each time? At least the first part of this nightmarish process only stung a little. What came next was bad enough on its own. XR could help moaning quietly at what was happening, desperately hoping he'd stop.

Then the slow drilling, _intentionally_ slow, stopped as the fangs made a connection to his inner workings. XR tried to pull away, straining against everything holding him in place. All that resulted in was clawed hands curling around his shoulders to keep him steady.

There was a short pause, Nos-4-A2 restraining himself briefly as his red eyes stared hungrily at the smaller robot. It was unnecessarily creepy. It was like he was drinking in XR's fear as an appetizer before his main meal. Then the momentary pause was over.

_**Error. Severe Power Loss In Progress.** _

The pain was slower this time, but not weaker. XR's voice box was practically vibrating as he screamed, the sensation worse than just being hit by an explosion and torn to pieces. Everything _hurt_. With the slower speed, he could _feel_ the electricity being redirected from his systems this time. It hurt as the power was ripped from every circuit, breaking through safety protocols and engineering limits. His systems tried to compensate for what was happening, shutting down different parts and trying to redirect the remaining electricity to the more vital areas.

_**Power Levels At 12 Percent.** _

His straining and struggling limbs stopped moving. Various systems shut down as power was slowly, so _agonizingly_ slowly, torn out of his body. His weakening cries were cut off as his voice box lost electricity. His tactile sensors gradually went offline as more of his power dwindled, spiking briefly in pain before going numb one by one. His motor slowed, but not yet stopped, which reduced the grinding sensation at least. Exhaustion settled into every wire, servo, and circuit alongside the tearing pain and the paradoxical numbing cold.

_**Power Levels At 9 Percent.** _

His vision and hearing dimmed as Nos-4-A2 continued his slow draining. He couldn't fight what was happening; the electricity, the very _life_ , was being pulled out of him piece by piece. His thoughts grew heavy and dull as his body. He couldn't think through the haze. Couldn't…

_**Power Levels At 5 Percent** _

So tired. So much pain. How long…?

The pull stopped. The fangs vanished. Why…?

He wanted to stop. Turn off and protect his files. Enough power left for proper shut down. Just need to rest…

Sharp, burning, intense power hit him hard and nearly overloaded his poor systems. XR struggled for a few nanoseconds to sort out the chaotic feedback and buzzing pain enough to focus.

_**Power Levels At 16 Percent** _

High voltage, but relatively few joules. Enough to kick him back into full awareness, but not enough power to keep awake for long. Even if he didn't need to breathe, XR found himself gasping and shivering.

"M-maybe you should adjust the settings on that charger unit," he managed to say after a moment.

Nos-4-A2 chuckled as he drew near once more. The fear of the energy vampire remained, but the ache through his body from the stress on his circuits combined with exhaustion kept XR from reaching a true state of panic.

He was left instead with overwhelming dread and desperate hope for anyone to show up. Buzz. Booster. Mira. Dad. He'd even settle for Zurg storming in to shoot at Nos-4-A2.

"I have the settings exactly how I want them. Enough to keep you conscious and aware, but not enough to let you recover properly. And it really stings. Not as much as being staked by a metal rod and exploding, but _you_ should be familiar with that particular damage already," said Nos-4-A2, his voice smooth, even, and cruel.

It was official. The energy vampire was an expert at revenge. If there were villain awards for the category, XR intended to nominate Nos-4-A2 immediately. He deserved the prize.

"Feel free to scream as loudly as you want, Little One," he continued. "There is no one else to hear your agonized cries and I rather enjoy the sound. It brings me indescribable pleasure to observe your suffering." Looming over the restrained and shuddering robot, he said, "And we've wasted enough time, my delicious Little One. Let us continue, shall we?"

There was barely time to think before Nos-4-A2 lunged. The sound of drilling fangs filled the air as XR yelled. It was starting all over again. He was keeping his promised threat. Drain, recharge, and repeat.

"No, no, no, no," he said desperately. "Please don't—"

Then the fangs broke through and the real pain started again. As did the screaming.

* * *

Again and again, Nos-4-A2 recharged the Little One and drove his fangs through metal to drain the restored electricity. It was an entertaining cycle. He never let him regain more than twenty percent of his power and he never let it drop to three percent.

He fought his programmed instincts to hurry, to rip every joule out of his prey. It was a struggle. Each time, he came closer and closer to sending the robot offline. Closer, but not quite. He never let XR's power drop low enough to lose awareness.

Five times he drained the Little One in his lair, stretching it out for _minutes_ rather than seconds.

It wasn't easy to restrain himself. The screams, the whimpers, the way he shuddered and flinched beneath his fangs, and the desperate words combined to excite and entice him. The helpless prey sounds and movements appealed to his predator nature, urging him to drain more energy and faster. Nos-4-A2's programming, his hunger for power, cried out _more, faster,_ _ **more, faster, MORE**_.

The Little One was intoxicating. XR was practically organic with how powerful and varied his reactions were; his emotions and especially his fear were far beyond what other robots were programmed with. The intensity of his terror and agony produced equally intense reactions from predator, feeding into his appetite for suffering. The Little One's pain was his pleasure. Only the energy vampire's strong will kept him from rushing, from pushing his prey too far before he could savor the experience.

Prying himself away from the barely conscious XR once again, Nos-4-A2 studied the Little One still trapped on the inclined table. Twelve tiny holes dotted his metal chassis, a pair for each bite. His motor churned slowly and roughly, pausing and sputtering with the low wattage being used. The sound was barely audible, though Nos-4-A2 did grin as the Little One's motor sped up slightly when he placed his clawed hand on the service panel.

His hunger never truly vanished completely, but it had faded from his prolonged meal on the Little One. For the moment, he was satisfied. He'd tormented XR for almost half an hour straight. His reactions were weakening as the Little One's strength waned, reducing the pleasure of Nos-4-A2's actions slightly. Perhaps it was time to take a short break.

After a short wait for a charge to build, Nos-4-A2 placed the pads of the charger unit on the Little One's body and sent the high voltage jolt through him once again. Rather than the loud and surprised help he produced the first few times, XR just jerked and moaned as he was re-energized. Then there were the few seconds necessary to orient himself, eyes trying to focus and his head floating a little again.

"Poor Little One," crooned the energy vampire. "You're holding up better than expected. Perhaps you deserve a rest."

He didn't immediately respond, exhaustion and pain managing to finally quiet the talkative robot. Nos-4-A2 hoped he hadn't broken the Little One's spirit quite yet. He'd had such high hopes that XR would last longer.

Then the Little One tilted his head up to look at Nos-4-A2 and said quietly, "A nap might be nice. You going to put a mint on my pillow?"

That was better. The Little One wasn't completely broken yet. There was still time to continue his revenge before the damage went too far.

"You shall rest, Little One. I'll even set an alarm to serve as your wakeup call."

Proximity would help for what he wanted. Not just his head this time, but all of him would have to be near the Little One. His sensors were sensitive, but he'd have to be very close for the precision he desired. Setting aside the charge unit, Nos-4-A2 pulled himself next to XR on the slanted table. One arm curled around the clear helmet tightly while his other was left free, pushing aside his cape so it wouldn't be interfere.

"How about we talk about personal space?" mumbled XR tiredly. "Unless you're Miss Tradeworld, you're not allowed this close to me."

Nos-4-A2 felt the urge to roll his eyes. Only a fool would compare the situation to some sort of romantic encounter, regardless of any superficial similarities in appearances if viewed from a distance. He held no passion within his circuits and his only desires was for energy, pain, and fear, not companionship. And the closest thing to a kiss that he might perform was a far more painful and potentially fatal act.

He traced a claw along the various punctures. Eventually he might have to start reusing old bite marks. Or he might have to become more creative. Regardless, he would have to figure out a solution if XR survived long enough for that to become an issue.

As the Little One shivered from the close proximity, Nos-4-A2 said, "I shall plunge you into the deepest of slumbers, the likes of which many never escape. Do not resist your Dark Master's will. Simply accept that the worst is yet to come, Little One."

Arms tightening around the captive robot, Nos-4-A2 bit deeply with both upper and lower fangs this time.

_**Energy Drain In Progress.** _

The faded hunger made it a little easier to pace himself; the urge to drain quickly was less intense. But he listened to the choked gasps of pain from his prey. He focused his sense on the amps as they were drawn out, feeling every last joule of power. So close to the Little One, he could detect every circuit as the electricity was torn away. He could even detect the individual signals of distress, of _pain_ , racing through the robot. It sent a shiver of thrill through the energy vampire. Yes, this was what he wanted.

It was wonderful. Each tiny sound of suffering, each weakening movement, and each faint signal of pain he could detect from the Little One seemed to produce a wave of euphoria in Nos-4-A2. It wasn't even about the energy he was draining. It was the power he held over his prey. He was the one who controlled the Little One, holding complete power over what he felt, what he experienced, and what was happening to him. He didn't need to compel him. All Nos-4-A2 needed was this power over the Little One, the power of life and death.

He could feel XR fading fast, but not too fast. The Little One only started with a small amount of power, but he was still managing to take his time. He could sense each step in the process, each agonizing and terrifying moment. He could sense each system as it went offline. He could sense it all and the sensation left the energy vampire nearly overwhelmed pleasure. Zurg created him to be cruel and ruthless in the pursuit of his goals and he was certainly achieving what he desired. He was pushing the Little One's suffering to the limits. And as Nos-4-A2 went past the point he'd previously stopped, he could feel the Little One dying.

He continued to pull the dwindling energy forcibly from his prey, tapping into emergency reserves and ripping it out of him. Nos-4-A2 felt XR's motor stuttering and shuddering behind his service panel, struggling to continue until the power levels dropped too low. Another wave of excitement and ecstatic swept through the energy vampire as the final joules of electricity were drained out of his prey. Even with his specialized and sensitive sensors, Nos-4-A2 couldn't detect a single amp flowing through the circuits. That observation left him with a sudden and intense surge of exhilaration and fulfillment. For the moment, the Little One was a dark, silent, and empty shell.

Pulling himself away from the powerless robot and straightening his cape, Nos-4-A2 floated over to the computer and activated the timer. He'd already preset it for an hour, the approximate amount of time the schematics suggested the Little One's systems could last with no power without risking the memory files. He'd have to recharge XR by that point. It would give Nos-4-A2 time to rest a little and enjoy the result of his feast.

But first he needed to finish one little detail. Picking up the camera from where he'd positioned it earlier to have a perfect view of the room, Nos-4-A2 grinned into the lens.

"And that brings this particular lesson to a close," he said smugly. "I hope you found this entire experience educational. I certainly thought it was a lovely way to spend some free time. Perhaps with some luck, the Little One will even survive until you receive this recording." Chuckling darkly, he said, " _Perhaps_. But not necessarily."

With that final message, Nos-4-A2 turned off the camera. Sending a package across vast distances was simple enough. Even known criminals could hire a delivery service with few issues. But he would actually be sending it to a couple of locations first before it reached its final destination, both making it harder to backtrack and delaying the ultimate delivery.

Hopefully Star Command wouldn't mind the wait.


	4. Watching the Recording

Three days. It had been three days since anyone had seen the robot ranger.

The first day, no one was too worried about his absence. There were a couple of theories floating around that varied from the believable one of him getting involved in a high-stakes round of gambling somewhere to the insane one of him getting a date. The only one who expressed anything resembling true concern for his absence was Booster. Lightyear was disappointed at what he considered a blatant disregard for the importance of the job and Nova acted like she didn't care while possibly showing some uncertainty about the situation. It was only as the day drew to a close that someone grew concerned enough to try remotely activating his emergency tracking beacon. But when the LGMs tried it, they couldn't detect a signal.

The second day was the start of the search. His teammates tried to track his last known movements and then extended their efforts to other places XR regularly visited. They even poked around the few casinos in the neighboring sector that admitted robot gamblers. As the hours continued to pass without any clues towards where he was or what happened to the robot ranger, some of the other Space Rangers were pulled from light duty to aid in the search. By the time the second day came to an end, they'd investigated several planets to varying degrees and there was a slight undercurrent of worry in Star Command. The news even trickled down to the bueracratic levels of the space station, resulting in XL being frantic and nearly racing out to help look for his "little brother." They'd at least managed to talk him down to just making copies of "missing" posters instead, keeping the prototype occupied and busy.

By the third day since XR's disappearance, Lightyear was about two steps away from taking his ship to Planet Z and interrogating Zurg about the robot's absence. And if there was even a shred of evidence that he knew anything about the missing ranger, Commander Nebula would be happy to order everyone possible to join him in that attack.

But there was nothing. Not even a hint of what happened to XR. And no matter what flaws he might have, XR wouldn't stay away for so long without a word to someone. Even if the tracker was damaged by accident and he was fine, he would have been back by now. Someone or something was responsible. He had to be in trouble. One of their own was missing and none of the Space Rangers could find him.

Nebula tried to distract himself by working on the mountain of paperwork that his desk, XL, and Lana Celeste had been urging him to complete for weeks. Normally it was mind-numbingly boring, but today it wasn't enough to keep his thoughts from wandering. Even with his ability to survive blasters, explosions, and physical impacts and be rebuilt with few problems, there were still plenty of ways for XR to get in trouble.

Some planets didn't have any rights or protections for robots of any level of sentience, which Nebula didn't normally worry or care about. On those planets, there were people who would capture and tear apart random robots for spare parts. And the only possible crime they could be charged with was vandalism and maybe theft. Of course the charge for assaulting a Space Ranger was the same throughout the Galactic Alliance, regardless of whether they were organic or a robot. That might discourage at least the more minor criminals, but only if they were aware of XR's status.

Then there were those who might have a more personal reason to target the robot ranger. Team Lightyear had foiled a lot of people. From Zurg to Torque, there were plenty of past foes who would be happy to attack any member of that team that they might encounter. Or they might try to hack into his head for information. There were plenty of possibilities.

Nebula groaned tiredly as he rubbed his temple. He would never admit it to anyone and would deny it to his dying day, but he was honestly worried about XR. He'd never been fond of robots and the disaster of the first robot ranger attempt only strengthened his resolve that servos and circuits could never match up with _real_ people. They couldn't be a Space Ranger because they couldn't do what a real Ranger could. They couldn't go past their limits to help someone, they couldn't make the hard decisions when backed against the wall, and they couldn't put their heart and soul into the job. And then XR was created and decided to mess with his decades-old mindset.

He wasn't always happy with XR's annoyingly enthusiastic behavior, the way he instantly and unwavering declared Nebula his father. He was too eager and hyper in his pursuit of parental affection from someone who just didn't initially want anything to do with him. It grated the man's nerves. And when he wasn't going overboard with his attempts to win over someone who was well-known not to like or trust machines, there were other flaws in the robot ranger that were definitely not what the LGMs programmed originally. Nebula was going to strangle whoever taught him to gamble someday.

But over time, XR repeatedly proved himself to be just as worthy of being a Space Ranger as anyone alive. And Nebula found himself feeling proud of the robot just as he would any Space Ranger. Or perhaps proud for more personal reasons.

But now XR was missing. He was missing and could be any sort of trouble. And while a couple of years ago Nebula would have wrote the whole thing off as a failed experiment and accepted the lost investment in the project, he now couldn't help worrying about the robot ranger. He didn't know who or what was responsible for XR's disappearance or what kind of condition he'd end up in. At least when the Raenoks had a hold of him and everyone else, they knew where to look. Now knowing was frustrating.

"Delivery, Commander," announced Ed, the courier who tended to deliver to Star Command.

Distractedly signing the offered clipboard, Nebula said, "Fine. Thanks."

The package was set on his desk and the courier left with a friendly and cheerful smile. Briefly Nebula considered just ignoring the small, wrapped object in favor of more important things. But until they found a clue about XR's location, there was only so much he could do. And the paperwork couldn't hold his attention. Perhaps the surprise delivery would work better at taking his mind off the situation.

Pulling off the brown paper and opening the box, Nebula frowned thoughtfully at the contents. There was a disk inside and a folded-up letter. Curious, the commander picked up the piece of paper.

The first thing he noticed about the letter was the style of the writing. Rather than a straightforward printed message, the writing was an elegant, fancy, cursive style that would suggest it was done by hand and yet there was an uniformity to the letters that couldn't be achieved naturally. The next thing he noticed was the actual message.

_Here is an educational gift for Star Command. I highly recommend that the enclosed recording is viewed as soon as possible by the following individuals: Commander Nebula, Ranger Buzz Lightyear and his team, Ranger Ty Parsec, and the robot XL. I am quite certain you will find the recording very informative._

The letter was unsigned and Nebula's instincts warned him that something was wrong. There was no good reason why anyone would send a recording to those specific people. They were all involved in Star Command and were at least semi-connected to Buzz, but there wasn't much when it came to major connections between them. No single mission connected them all. Well, no mission except the one where Parsec was taken captive, Planet Z was taken over by an outside force, and everyone at Star Command was temporarily turned into wirewolves. He didn't know if the package was related to that particular mission, but it still left Nebula with a sense of unease.

He could watch it. He could watch the recording first and see what was on it. He was on the list of people intended to watch it after all.

Nebula considered it, but ultimately rejected the idea. It would save everyone time to watch it all at once rather than play the recording repeatedly. And something in his gut didn't want to see it alone. It wouldn't take much effort to get everyone together in a short amount of time. XL was already at the station a few floors down, Parsec was due back from a scouting mission, and what remained of Lightyear's team could be called in. They needed a break from their search, even if it was only for a moment. He should call them in at least long enough to deal with the delivered recording.

That didn't change the feeling of uneasy concern and suspicion that gnawed at the back of his mind and deep within his gut. He didn't go into the field as much as he did in the past, but his Ranger Instincts were just as keen as ever. And they warned that he would not like what he would see on that recording.

* * *

Nos-4-A2 waited for his prey to walk by as he lurked on a ledge above the streets. So far the Fixer's list of targets was serving him well. The disappearances had raised no alarm among the citizens of Tradeworld. And while most of the lifeless shells were left for the Fixer, he'd carried a few back to his lair. It never hurt to keep a few potential mindless slaves in case of an emergency. Besides, he could admit it. The energy vampire was a bit of a hoarder.

The robot, a simple Construction-Bot with minimal contact with people outside of his job, was stomping down the deserted street. Only the faintest traces of the setting sun were still visible and the street lights were slowly flickering on. That cast long and misshapen shadows across the landscape. The only thing that would be better would to have a dramatic storm. There was nothing like setting the mood.

He watched the Construction-Bot slow down, the faint and subtle frequency from Nos-4-A2 invoking a sense of unexplainable dread in him. The target robot, named BLD-3R according to the Fixer, was looking towards the dark shadows with his glowing blue eyes. His blocky and bulky figure would be enough to discourage most people from bothering the Construction-Bot. There were few things he would fear, the orange behemoth a force to be reckoned with. That did not stop the robot from growing nervous.

The hunger wasn't what compelled Nos-4-A2 to glide after the robot, only letting BLD-3R catch faint glimpses and vague impressions of the predator. Even taking his time with the Little One, he could still drain enough to satisfy his appetite for the most part. No, this was something else. Something he couldn't risk enjoying with the Little One, trapped and bolted in place to prevent problems. This was something he missed.

The thrill of the hunt.

"Hello?" called the Construction-Bot. "Who's there?"

Nos-4-A2 grinned, gliding to his next perch. The bulky robot turned, trying to see the terrifying creature he kept catching small glimpses in the darkness. But he could never get a real look at what was stalking him. The nervous unease was practically palpable. The energy vampire knew it was time for the next step.

He dropped down directly in front of the robot, shrieking at his target with his fangs and claws exposed. Dread turned to true fear as BLD-3R stumbled back. Even with the size difference, the roles of predator and prey were perfectly clear. The Construction-Bots were programmed to be hard-working, tough, stubborn, and usually a little grumpy when something interfered, but he was still capable of fear for his life. Even if he was unable to explain how he knew of the level of danger.

"What _are_ you?" asked BLD-3R, backing away from the energy vampire.

"Your demise," Nos-4-A2 said as he launched himself towards the robot.

But even with fear gripping his thoughts, his prey wasn't ready to surrender to the inevitable. Arms, built for bending and shaping metal, lashed out and managed to knock Nos-4-A2 aside. The impact sent him crashing into a dumpster, causing more damage to his pride than anything. But BLD-3R was running, so he flung himself into the air and took chase.

The Construction-Bot was trapped on the ground, so Nos-4-A2 was faster. He soared and banked, clawing at BLD-3R and shrieking. He didn't kill the robot. Not yet. He _herded_ it. He directed his prey where he wanted, savoring the hunt. He had the power to control the large robot. He had the power to manipulate him where he wished. The chase was thrilling, the anticipation and desire for his prey building. Nos-4-A2's circuits were practically buzzing with excitement.

"Leave me alone," shouted the Construction-Bot.

BLD-3R activated the welder built into his hand, waving the intense flame defensively even as he continued to run. The energy vampire easily avoided the minor threat, swooping alongside the robot and forcing his prey to turn down an alley. Specifically, he forced the frightened robot down a dead-end alleyway.

As lovely as the chase might be, Nos-4-A2 knew all good things must come to an end. His scared and panicking prey was trapped. That left only one option. The energy vampire bared his fangs at the Construction-Bot, his appetite strengthened by the clear dread and the excitement from a proper hunt.

Seeing there was nowhere left to run, BLD-3R yelled, "Help. Someone help."

Red eyes glowing, Nos-4-A2 caught his gaze. While weaker and far more temporary that the effect a proper bite could achieve, he could still compel limited obedience from a robot with the nearly-hypnotic light from his larger eye. He rarely bothered since it was more effective to sink his fangs into his prey and have more complete control. But with a larger and stronger robot, he knew it was best to take a few precautions to prevent injury. At least until he could get close enough.

"Resist me not, my delectable morsel," he ordered in a hypnotic and soothing voice. "Do not fight your Dark Master's will. Nos-4-A2 compels you to obey. Do not struggle or move. Remain still and resist me not."

The hold on his prey was not perfect, but it was enough for the moment. BLD-3R couldn't move. The only downside was that his actions calmed the robot as a side-effect. The calm obedience was not as exciting as terror, but he could enjoy the latter when he returned to the Little One. There was no need to be greedy.

Floating closer to the unmoving Construction-Bot, Nos-4-A2 extended his senses as he searched for where the energy was the closest to the surface. The robot was designed with thick metal and he didn't want to dull his fangs more quickly than necessary. A few wires near the neck joints quickly proved to be the ideal spot.

"Lovely," he said quietly.

He lunged, grabbing the Construction-Bot's shoulders and burying his fangs into his prey.

_**Energy Drain In Progress.** _

BLD-3R's pain overcame part of the weak compulsion, the fear returning and the robot starting to struggle clumsily. The signals of desperate prey thrilled him just as the chase did. Nos-4-A2 appetite was stoked as his excitement reignited and grew. Programming took over and he didn't even try to slow down. He ripped out the power, pulling every joule from the large robot as quickly as possible. It was invigorating. A few seconds later and BLD-3R collapsed to the ground, empty and lifeless.

_**Power Levels At 94 Percent.** _

Enjoying the last shiver of pleasure he gained from the Construction-Bot's death, Nos-4-A2 tried to collect his thoughts and brush any remaining rubbish from his tumble into the dumpster. While he was very skilled at planning, it always took a moment for him to properly focus after an especially thrilling experience.

He knew he would need to take care of a few things. He would need to contact the Fixer so he could pick up the new "merchandise" before someone found the body. There were a few more Space Rangers on the planet in the last couple of days than usual, but none of them seemed to know what was actually happening. Still, it wouldn't be helpful if one of them stumbled on the empty, powerless robot and started to ask too many questions. Hopefully the Fixer would be swift to handle the body. And once that call was dealt with, Nos-4-A2 could return to his lair.

He couldn't leave the Little One alone for too long, after all.

* * *

Ty Parsec knew from years of experience that being summoned by the commander tended to be either really good or really bad. He wasn't as high-profile of a ranger as Buzz, so he didn't interact with Commander Nebula in person as often as he did. The circumstances he did so were almost always serious. And since his last mission went off without any problems, he couldn't help wondering what the commander wanted.

It could be an attempt to assign him a partner. Before, Ty worked a guard detail that required minimal personnel, making use of Security-bots as his backup. And more recently, there were only a handful of Space Rangers who were comfortable working alongside him. The "wirewolf" incident made some people twitchy. It certainly made the Security-bots less eager to work with him. But outside of the safest and lowest-risk missions, everyone needed a partner and many were working on teams in the last couple of years. The commander was bound to address the issue eventually.

That thought trailed off as he stepped into the conference room and saw the rest of the occupants. The gathering was too odd for the purpose of discussing a future partner.

In addition to the serious, mustached, peg-legged Commander Nebula pacing around the room, there was another human Space Ranger sitting at the table. At one point, the sight would have provoked Ty to roll his eyes and mutter sarcastically. Their past interactions, where the man continued to rescue Ty on practically every mission regardless of the necessity, left him unhappy and frustrated. But they'd managed to improve their relationship and he could now admit that Buzz Lightyear was a true friend. Though it wouldn't kill the man to take the hood of his spacesuit off occasionally.

Next to him was Mira Nova. The Tangean looked tired. Actually, all of the team looked rather tired. Based on what Ty knew of the current situation, he didn't blame them for looking a little ragged.

On the other side was Booster, the young Jo-Adian rookie who seemed to have issues with understanding sarcasm. Large, broad, and red-scaled, Booster didn't just look tired. He seemed to completely worried sick. Ty felt the urge to pat his shoulder and say everything would be all right. There was just something about the rookie that produced that reaction in those around him.

As Ty took an empty seat, he noticed a final member of Star Command waiting anxiously. A tiny red robot head on a mobile fax/photocopier machine body, XL certainly looked less impressive than the first time Ty met him.

"Hey," called XL, "you're that wirewolf guy."

"And you're the genius who teamed up with someone who saw you as an entrée," he said dryly. "Are we here to exchange fond memories or is there another purpose for us being here?"

"Yes, there is. We received a package a short time ago, addressed specifically to everyone in his room," said Nebula, ending any further conversation off-topic. "In the delivered package was a recording and a message for us to view it as soon as possible, but without explaining who sent it or what the recording is about. Even I don't know what it'll show us."

"Do you think it has anything to do with XR? Maybe it'll tell us where to find him," Booster said.

Gently, Mira said, "Don't get your hopes up. It might have nothing to do with him."

"Though the timing is suspicious," said Buzz as he narrowed his eyes.

Nodding, Nebula said, "It certainly is rather oddly timed. I thought it would be wise to handle this quickly."

"Then perhaps we should start the recording, Commander,' said Ty.

Nebula reached for the remote with a nod. A screen rose into view and he handed a disk to Ty to insert into the system. They waited as the commander moved into his seat, settling into a good position to watch and observe. Then they started the recording.

The instant the image appeared on screen, Ty flung himself out of his chair and stumbled back while he cursed, "Sweet Mother of Venus!"

The reactions of the others was similarly intense. XL screamed. Booster and Mira gasped in shock. Nebula slammed his hand against the table hard enough to rattle it, throwing himself to his feet. Buzz's eyes narrowed further into a suspicious glare. It was clear his mind was turning over the implications of what he was seeing and did not like the possibilities.

Regardless of the fact Ty saw him die on Planet Z (though his memories from his time as a wirewolf were scattered and foggy), Nos-4-A2 was taking up most of the screen. The energy vampire, the one who nearly ruined Ty's life, was alive and whole. He was back and even taunting Star Command by sending a recording of his survival.

"Hello, Rangers," greeted Nos-4-A2, the voice smooth and malicious as it came through the speakers. "I'm certain you'll be surprised in a few days when this package arrives. It seems that the news of my demise may not have been quite accurate. But hopefully all those I invited are present for this particular lesson."

"He has way too much ego," muttered Mira, glaring at the screen. "Sending a recording to brag about being back? He's definitely Zurg's creation."

"Now, it seems to me that our biggest problems in the past encounters were underestimating each other and a lack of understanding," Nos-4-A2 continued. "My first confrontation with Star Command was ruined because Zurg provided plenty of information on Lightyear and very little on the others, so I was caught unaware that the commander was so technophobic."

"I dislike and distrust technology," Nebula said, crossing his arms. "I don't _fear_ it."

Since it was a recording, his correction didn't matter. The Nos-4-A2 from a few days ago simply kept talking to the camera, clearly enjoying the sound of his voice.

"If I had known that and if I had paid closer attention to my hold on XR, the strange Little One with such a knotted mess of programming, then I would have won that day. But while I tried to learn from past encounters, you still don't seem to understand. You don't recognize just how dangerous and cruel I can truly be, especially to those who choose to hinder me." Pausing briefly as he tapped his chin with a claw thoughtfully, Nos-4-A2 corrected, "Well, _Parsec_ might understand. He knows how easily I can destroy a life. Isn't that right, my pet?"

Ty glared at the screen. He could admit it. The energy vampire truly messed up his life. It wasn't just the initial event where he attacked those around him and could have done far worse if Buzz and his teammates hadn't restored him. He was nearly forced to leave the Space Rangers just in case the transformation could be repeated. He hated what happened. He would certainly never underestimate Nos-4-A2 again. He would also never let that energy vampire escape custody again.

"Just because I don't go for the wide-spread destruction and enslavement option in most cases is no reason to dismiss the level of threat I represent. I just have a preference for more personalized and small-scale plans of actions," he continued. "I've been wondering why you would give Zurg so much credit while seeing so little of my potential and I believe I have figured out the answer. You don't understand. You are ignorant when it comes to robots. And without the proper knowledge and understanding, how can you appreciate my skills? How can you truly realize what it is like to suffer my displeasure? That's why I've decided to provide a lesson on the topic of robots so that you can appreciate my talents and actions properly."

With that vaguely ominous remark, Nos-4-A2 reached over and picked up the camera. The view on the screen wobbled and blurred as the camera moved. Ty caught sight of the corner of a table, the dimly-lit room's overhead light source, and the energy vampire's cape, but he couldn't make out any further details. He certainly couldn't see anything that would provide a location of where the robot was filming from. This out-of-focus movement continued for a few moments until the camera settled as he sat it on a steady surface, leaving a close-up view of Nos-4-A2's face across the entire screen.

"Now let's get started with the basics," he said. "Commander, since you probably have the least knowledge when it comes to robots, you should pay especially close attention. Perhaps you should even take notes."

Judging by the expression on Nebula's face in response, Ty thought that Nos-4-A2 was extremely lucky. If the commander was a few decades younger, he'd be hunting down that energy vampire personally for that condescending tone.

"Lesson one," Nos-4-A2 said as he pulled away from the camera, "if a robot is advanced enough to have an actual artificial intelligence, then they can experience fear. The more advanced the robot, the more afraid they can become. And I can make them afraid. I don't even have to try very hard. And just as they can experience fear, they can also experience pain. There are differences between organics and robots. Only more complicated and well-programmed robots have a full array of intense emotional reactions to stimuli. And pain can come from very different sources in regards to organics and robots. But lesson one is that if a robot is even as smart as one of Zurg's Hornets, they _can_ feel fear and they _can_ certainly feel pain. Some are just more susceptible than others."

With that, Nos-4-A2 moved to the side and gave the first clear view of what was behind him. And if the reaction to the energy vampire appearing on screen was intense, what they saw now was even worse.

Everyone in the conference room, in voices that ranged from horror to surprise to dread, shouted in unison, "XR!"

The small robot ranger was strapped to an inclined table, his limbs clearly cuffed and… was that metal bolts through his arms? Ty wasn't certain, but it certainly looked like it. His eyes were dark and he didn't seem to be moving. While difficult to spot, there seemed to be a pair of tiny holes in his body. There were also some dark smears, possibly oil stains, that made the man uneasy.

After everyone searched for XR, they'd finally been handed a clue about what happened to him. And it was worse than they'd imagined. The robot ranger was in the clutches of the energy vampire. And even worse, the recording was from _days_ ago. There was no way to know what had happened in the time since it was recorded and when they received it. Ty couldn't even imagine what was going through the minds of Team Lightyear.

"Not good," muttered XL anxiously. "Definitely not good."

"Is he…?" Booster asked hesitantly, his voice wavering.

"Don't worry, my dear Rangers," said Nos-4-A2, floating back into view beside XR's still shape. "He still has some power. I just drained enough to keep him quiet and unaware for a little while. I wouldn't want to risk losing the Little One just yet."

"This isn't part of some diabolical scheme against the galaxy," Buzz said, a slight edge to his voice. "This is something else. This is personal. This is simply about revenge."

Nos-4-A2 continued, "And that brings us to lesson two. I think this is probably the biggest misconception that organics seem to have about robots. We may be durable, repairable, and able to withstand destruction that would leave organics smeared across the landscape. My return is certainly proof of that. But we are not entirely invulnerable to consequences. Robots _can_ die. I should know. I've killed plenty in the time I've been online." The energy vampire looked at XR with a mock pitying expression. "The Little One may be designed specifically to endure explosive and aggressive damage as part of his job, but there is a limit. There are a few ways to seriously hurt or even destroy him beyond any hope of recovery. And I just so happen to know exactly how to do so."

He reached towards the small robot and opened the clear helmet. Then he grabbed the yellow head and did something, causing a small green computer chip to slide out of the top. Nos-4-A2 touched it gently with his claw.

"Such a small component, hidden in the most durable part of his entire body. His artificial intelligence chip. His most basic programming, all of his experiences that he used to learn and grow, every memory of his existence, and his entire personality. All of it stored on one little chip," said Nos-4-A2, thoughtfully. "I could destroy every other piece of the Little One's body and Star Command could still bring him back. But one deep scratch across the surface of the microchip… Or a little pressure, just enough to snap it in half… It would be so easy to permanently destroy him. So easy to kill him."

He traced his claw along the edges, as if he was contemplating such an action. Mira and Buzz looked like they wanted to charge straight through the screen after the energy vampire. Booster was gripping XL desperately like he was a stuffed animal, hugging him close while looking like he was on the verge of tears. Nebula looked… Ty wasn't certain what the commander was feeling and he was a little scared to ask.

"But that would be too simple, destroying his artificial intelligence chip while he's not awake," he said before causing the microchip to retract back into XR's head. Once he'd set the clear helmet back in place, Nos-4-A2 continued, "Another method to destroy him permanently would be to drain him completely of energy and wait. The information will begin to corrupt and become erased if he goes without power for too long and he doesn't undergo a proper shutdown sequence. That will work on any robot, though the lengths of time required to make sure nothing is recoverable varies. And perhaps in some circumstances, those plucky little LGMs of yours might be able to undo some of the damage. But I wouldn't count on it."

The energy vampire moved off-screen for a moment before returning with a charger unit in his claws. He looked towards the camera, returning to his lecturing voice.

"Lesson three, the main ways to cause pain to a robot aren't always impressive. He built to be destroyed in battle regularly, after all. It certainly _hurts_ him, but it would be a quick pain. Something mostly on the surface and perhaps even ignorable to an extent. What I'm discussing is something far more intense and entertaining."

"Did he say 'entertaining'?" asked Mira, sounding disgusted.

"He likes to play with his food," Ty said, hating the energy vampire more with every second.

"Naturally, I'm an expert when it comes to the pain of having the power drained out of a robot. Intense pain through every circuit and wire. Pain that they can't block out or lessen. And if I take my time, if I don't have to rush my meal, they will get to feel the pain until their energy gets too low. I'm not even sure if organics have an equivalent to the experience, though the lack of strength, exhaustion, and inability to think as it continues seems relatively similar to severe loss of blood. Of course, some of my victims are better expressing their suffering than others. Once again, the more advanced robots have better reactions."

"And he does that every single time he attacks another robot," said Nebula in a rather tense voice. "He knowingly, _happily_ , subjects his victims to that level of pain."

"But restoring energy can also hurt," he continued, holding up the charger unit as a demonstration. "If their power is low enough, the abrupt jolt of energy to their systems can be extremely unpleasant. For most, it is a small price to pay to stay online. For my victims? It is a way to keep them from escaping me into death until I'm finished with them."

Ty knew what Nos-4-A2 was planning to do before the recording was over. It was perfectly clear what he had in mind. Buzz probably knew and Mira might have guessed. Booster was likely hoping against it and who could tell what XL was thinking. But Nebula definitely knew. The commander was too old and experienced to deny what the energy vampire was working his way up towards.

"Finally, taking the oil out of an engine or motor is a surefire way to cause pain. It'll start out as merely unpleasant, but as the parts continue to grind against each other… Well, the motor will suffer some damage and start to overheat. And then the damaged parts will grind against each other worse, causing more problems and so on until something is destroyed. Doesn't that sound lovely?" said Nos-4-A2. "And in regards to my final lesson, this is what happens to those who cause problems for me. Watch and learn."

With that statement, he applied the charger unit to the restrained robot. Almost at once, XR jolted online with a yelp. As Nos-4-A2 pulled away with his equipment, the smaller robot blinked back into a confused awareness. He didn't seem to have his thoughts completely sorted as he muttered a complaint and started to look around blearily. He tugged at his restraints, still seeming confused. Then concern began to edge into his features. But it was easy to see the moment that realization settled in, panic taking over his face.

"No, no, no, no, _no_. Not him. This can't be happening. He was destroyed. I saw him. He can't be back."

And with a smooth and cruel voice, Nos-4-A2 said, "And yet here I am, my Little One."

From there, Ty couldn't help watching in helpless frustration as the energy vampire taunted the trapped robot ranger. XR tried to joke or reason, but his sheer terror at being in the presence of Nos-4-A2 was clear. He knew exactly how dangerous the energy vampire was. And it scared him to death, even if he was trying to hide it a little. Even as Nos-4-A2 discussed past encounters and threats of how he'd intended once intended to drain XR twice in a row and leaning over him, the smaller robot kept talking.

"Draining you twice just isn't enough," said Nos-4-A2 finally. "No, my Little One, your pain will not end that quickly. And luckily for you, I've been practicing. Why do you think my lairs always have those powerless robots stashed around? I needed to keep them somewhere I wouldn't be interrupted. I once kept a robot from permanently going offline for about two days by being careful." Tilting his head thoughtfully, he said, "I wonder how long you'll last."

At that point, there was the sound of drilling fangs. And mere seconds later, the most pained and terrified screams rang out.

"Turn it off," said Nebula. Then, in a louder and tight voice, he said, "Someone turn it off _now_."

Ty fumbled for the remote, managing to hit the right button before they had to listen to any more of the tortured screaming. He felt himself shudder slightly at what he seen, what had happened days ago. There was nothing he could say in that moment.

Mira looked sick. Buzz looked angry. Booster was crying and hugging the shivering XL. And Nebula…

Nebula looked pale, shaken, and completely furious. His hands were in fists and he was staring at the floor.

After several moments of silence, Nebula said slowly, "I don't care how you do it. I don't care what it takes. XR _will_ be found and Nos-4-A2 _will_ pay for his actions."


	5. Pieces of Plans

He had to keep calm. It hurt and he was tired, his power levels always kept fairly low. But he needed to stay calm. Getting worked up, letting his continued fear of the situation take effect, would only make things worse. XR already knew what would happen. Getting upset would make his motor race and that would make everything hurt more. It was already working too hard, grinding roughly and sputtering, and growing far too hot. He _needed_ oil. He needed it and it hurt worse the longer he went without oil. But until then, XR tried to minimize the damage it was causing by keeping calm.

XR wasn't certain how much time had passed since Nos-4-A2 first brought him to the dimly-lit room. It was hard to judge with everything the energy vampire was doing. There was no pattern or schedule to XR's suffering. Sometimes he was left online, alone, and awake for hours like he was now, his motor struggling to work. Sometimes Nos-4-A2 only drained him once, letting him slip into unconsciousness for a while. Other times, XR would be recharged and drained over and over a random number of times. Sometimes Nos-4-A2 spoke and taunted while other times he was silent. The lack of pattern made it impossible to judge the passage of time. The only constant was how the energy vampire sought to prolong each feeding and the pain that engulfed him.

For the moment, though, he was alone and XR tried to take comfort in that. Nos-4-A2 was out hunting somewhere, bringing pain to the rest of the robot population of whatever planet he chose to hide his lair on. That meant he wasn't torturing his prisoner for the moment. It was better than nothing.

His friends would come. XR knew at least enough time had passed that they would be looking for him. Star Command wouldn't know where he was trapped (not that XR knew either), but they would be looking by now. Nos-4-A2 was great at hiding, but Buzz, Booster, and Mira would track him down. They wouldn't give up. They would keep searching for their missing teammate. XR knew they would come. Saving people and stopping evil was what Space Rangers did. All he needed to do was survive long enough for them to charge in to the rescue.

His motor shuddered roughly, chugging and choking painfully as something grinded against something else. XR cringed from the sensation. He was running far too hot. He knew something was already warped in his motor by the treatment, heated metal rubbing against other parts. He hoped desperately to avoid making it worse, but there wasn't much he could do to stop it while still pinned to the table.

XR let his head drop back against his clear helmet. He was tired and there was a constant ache deep inside. There was far too much stress on every system. Time was running out. He knew his team was coming for him, XR clinging to that fact desperately. But they needed to hurry before either his motor completely burned out or Nos-4-A2 grew bored toying with him. By now XR _missed_ being blown up on routine missions. Explosions stung, but Nos-4-A2 was far worse.

An animalistic shriek pierced the air, startling XR and making his motor race a little more. The red glow the approaching energy vampire's wings and an inescapable fear announced the monster had returned. He knew what would happen. XR knew what Nos-4-A2 would do now that he was back from his hunt. Even if he wasn't hungry, he wouldn't leave XR alone. Nos-4-A2 would take another bite and rip his meager energy out of his body.

There wasn't much XR could do about it. He couldn't fight back or escape anymore than he could the first day he woke up in this terrible place. He was still tired, still trapped, and still kept on low levels of power. And the stress this was causing to his systems had already burned out several circuits and damaged others, meaning he was even less capable of fighting against the energy vampire's plans than before.

But even if he _knew_ he was completely helpless, XR refused to admit it. He couldn't completely give up. His team would come. His friends would come for him. Until then, he couldn't let Nos-4-A2 think he was winning. The energy vampire wouldn't get the pleasure of seeing how this was wearing away his hope.

As Nos-4-A2 moved into view, XR said in the most flippant voice he could manage in his current state, "Next time you go out, could you lend me a magazine or something? I can't seem to find my copy. I guess you left it with the rest of my stuff."

"You really are a strange robot, Little One," said Nos-4-A2, tilting his head as he floated by him. "But you are certainly stronger than you appear. Even taking care to not kill you quickly, I would not have expected you to last this long. And you even managed to hang onto that pitiful thing you call a sense of humor."

"Impressed or disappointed?" he asked, still trying to sound relatively normal even as fear and exhaustion fought for dominance of his voice.

"Intrigued," admitted Nos-4-A2 before frowning briefly as he peeled a piece of paper off his cape. He muttered darkly, "Dumpsters are such a nuisance."

As he tossed the scrap of paper aside, XR caught a glimpse of the writing. It was a flyer for a local pizza restaurant. And supposedly the food was pretty good, but the more important part was that there was only one location. The restaurant was only on Tradeworld and that meant the fliers were only handed out on Tradeworld. If one got stuck to Nos-4-A2, that suggested they were still on Tradeworld. He hadn't carried the Ranger to a different planet after all. XR really couldn't do anything with the information yet, but at least he had it. Maybe an opportunity would come up.

"You don't know this yet, but I sent Star Command a lovely little gift. They should have received it by now," continued Nos-4-A2. "And I have been working on another surprise for them. If you manage to stay online until I finish the final details, they'll get another message. And once I am certain that no one can trace the signal back, I might even let you say something to your little friends. Wouldn't that be lovely, my Little One?"

"You certainly know how to make a generous offer," XR said dryly, unable to summon up the energy anymore to inject a proper amount of sarcasm or desperate flattery like he might normally try. "All your past victims must have really appreciated these personal touches you include to their torture."

The energy vampire dragged his claws across XR's clear helmet, the scraping sound making the smaller robot cringe. He really hated Nos-4-A2 getting all touchy-feely. Not only was it creepy, but it was also generally a sign he was about to bury his fangs into XR again. He really didn't look forward to it, but he was growing resigned to the pain that he couldn't stop or escape. At least if he knocked him out with a power drain, his motor would get a chance to stop and cool down.

"Just get it over with," XR said quietly, slumping as much as his restraints would allow.

Chuckling darkly, Nos-4-A2 traced the numerous holes across XR's body left behind by the drilling fangs. At least two for every attack. He looked like certain types of cheese they put on burgers. If he ever forgot how many times the energy vampire decided to snack on him, it would be easy enough to tally.

Taking a moment to tap his claw on the service panel, Nos-4-A2 said, "Have you grown bored under my care? I suppose since you have been my captive longer than anyone else has managed, it _is_ possible. That won't do at all. I shall have to correct that, Little One."

"No, no, no need to go to any trouble," said XR quickly, realizing with a panic that his captor was taking it as a _challenge_. "I'm not bored. Not bored in the slightest. You shouldn't worry about it. Just- _ahh_!"

He flinched at the especially sharp pain deep inside, the grinding sensation intensifying so much his whole body rattled a little. He needed to stop panicking. Calm down, calm down and slow his motor back down before it got worse. Unfortunately the increase in pain and fear of what was happening made it hard. Nos-4-A2 watching with a mildly amused expression wasn't helping. XR literally shut off all his visual and audio input so he could focus.

The shaking and grinding sensation of his struggling motor deeply concerned him. It certainly hurt, but the roughness of the mechanics was a bigger problem. It was sputtering too much. Whatever damage was already in place couldn't handle the higher speed of his panic and worry. He needed to calm down _now_.

Then, when he idiotically wondered if it could possibly get any worse, his motor stuttered to a stop. A second later it managed to stagger back into grinding and unsteady motion, but XR felt his systems try to shut down again during that instant. Then it happened again, stopping for almost two seconds before it recovered back into rough and ragged operation.

He knew the moment his motor completely burned out, he was done. No amount of recharging would kick him back on without repairs, but Nos-4-A2 would simply take it as a sign that his victim was no longer fun to toy with. If his struggling motor completely failed, the energy vampire would just let him die.

But that wouldn't happen. His team would come. His friends would come. Heroic Buzz. Loyal Booster. Determined Mira. They would come for him. They'd save him in time. That was what they did. His friends would come. XR kept thinking about his team and the simple fact that they always saved the day, the small hope that he still clung to finally allowing him to calm down enough that his motor slowed back to a more constant shuddering. Even if he didn't need to breath, habit caused him to sigh in relief.

Though part of him truly wanted to remain oblivious to his surroundings for a little longer, XR reluctantly reactivated his systems enough so he could see and hear again. Remaining ignorant wouldn't help him. There wasn't much he could do, but he could at least avoid being caught unaware. And as he suspected, his first sight was a very entertained energy vampire looming over him.

"Personal space," he muttered tiredly.

"Looks like someone was having a little trouble there. Have you settled down now, Little One, or shall you be expiring momentarily?" asked Nos-4-A2 in mock concern.

"I'm fine," XR said quietly. "And absolutely not bored. No need to get creative."

"Nonsense. We've been enjoying each other's company for several days, draining your power painfully slow and listening to your screams. It is time to mix it up a tad. I wouldn't want the experience to grow stale." Nos-4-A2 tapped his chin thoughtfully and said, "Now what should I do? What should I do to make things more interesting?"

The moment he gained a look of inspiration in his creepy red eyes was the moment that XR knew he was about to have a very unpleasant experience. He was surprised, however, when Nos-4-A2 moved towards where he kept the charger unit. He never bothered with that until _after_ he started painfully draining power, not before. And even stranger, he started adjusting the setting for the first time to something different.

"Perhaps if I attempt to set a record of some type? To see exactly how long I can stretch out the draining of your power if I truly put a bit of effort into it," suggested the energy vampire. "Of course, for the best possible results of such an attempt, it would require you to have more delicious energy for me to consume."

With that cheerful comment, XR found himself once again being jolted violently with far more voltage than his battered systems could easily handle. The sharp, burning, intense pain hit hard. He knew he must have screamed, but the chaotic feedback and buzzing sensation through all his overloaded circuits kept him too disoriented to tell. A few of the already-damaged circuits even burned out from the abrupt surge. It seemed to last a few nanoseconds longer than Nos-4-A2's usual aggressive recharges, but there was no reliable way to know. And though he still didn't need to breath, it always left him gasping and shivering immediately afterwards. But he also felt strangely clear-headed and alert once the initial disorientation passed.

_**Power Levels At 100 Percent.** _

He'd almost forgotten what it felt like to have a proper amount of amps flowing through him. He'd almost forgotten what it felt like to not be running off the minimal amount of joules in his body. He still ached. His motor was still too hot and far from smooth. And mentally he felt exhausted by his experience. But he still felt relatively energized. He felt better than before. And that briefly made him feel more hopeful, his microprocessor already racing to use all the information at his disposal to come up with something resembling an idea.

But then he remembered that this brief moment of relative comfort was not meant as a kindness. Instead, it was a setup for something worse. Because Nos-4-A2 could always find a way to make things worse. He couldn't even imagine how long it would take for the energy vampire to completely drain him of power when he chose to take his time. But XR knew without a shadow of a doubt that the pain would make it seem even longer.

"There we are," said Nos-4-A2, smiling in a way that still made the smaller robot shiver. "Nice and charged, Little One. That should provide an especially long meal. And yet, I still don't think that will suffice. Surely we can devise something more creative than just an extended energy draining."

Once again Nos-4-A2 dragged his sharp claws across the various holes he'd drilled through the metal of XR's body. He looked far too contemplative and interested in his past work for XR's comfort. He really didn't like Nos-4-A2 getting creative with his methods.

"How about we try being a bit more direct this time, shall we?" suggested the energy vampire just as he reached for the service panel.

XR barely had a chance to wonder what the psycho was thinking before Nos-4-A2 opened him up and he realized his plan. And while he'd mostly stopped struggling against his restraints since it was clear he couldn't get loose, XR couldn't help fighting against the cuffs and bolts this time as Nos-4-A2 began to poke his claws around his internal workings. He really didn't like his biggest source of nightmares rooting around his insides, reaching past his (empty) storage space and moving around important wires and such.

"Personal space," XR yelped, trying to wiggle uselessly out of range while keeping relatively calm. "Violation of personal space. We talked about this. Hand out of there now."

"Quiet down, Little One," said Nos-4-A2, still moving his right hand through his inner workings quite casually. "I can feel your motor rattling under my claws. Try not to burn yourself out. You've been doing quite well so far surviving my focus and attention. I wouldn't want you to end my fun just yet."

XR struggled to keep from whimpering as Nos-4A-2 tightened his grip on a few thicker cables and pulled them. He didn't snap them. He just moved them somewhat closer to the opening, making them easier to access. XR knew exactly what the energy vampire had in mind now.

"I _really_ hope you'll reconsider," XR said nervously. "It is such an inconvenience."

"Oh, don't be like that," said Nos-4-A2. "If you remain as stubborn as you have been in the past and I'm careful with my appetite, you'll survive long enough to say farewell to Star Command on a lovely video conference I'm arranging. So you have no reason to complain."

"I have plenty of reason to complain," he argued. "Want a list?"

But even as he snapped towards the energy vampire like he had a death wish, XR finally had a sliver of an idea. He knew there was something he could do. Not yet, but soon. If he could last long enough, he would actually be able to do something to interfere with Nos-4-A2's precious little revenge scheme. It would hurt and he really didn't know how much it would actually help him in the end, but XR didn't care in that moment. He was _done_ being helpless and unable to fight back. It would be worth it to get back at the smug energy vampire.

He had a sliver of a plan and that was more than he had before. So XR managed a weak smile as Nos-4-A2 focused on the exposed cables and wires his claws were still clenching. It wasn't much of a smile and the energy vampire certainly didn't notice, but that didn't matter. His weakening and fraying hope was rekindled slightly.

Then that moment of feeling relatively confident was extinguished as Nos-4-A2 buried his head into the open service panel and bit into one of XR's main power lines. A new sharp and powerful agony struck hard.

_**Error. Severe Power Loss In Progress.** _

Apparently drilling fangs into a cable that carries a lot of joules rather than making a more minor connection hurt _a lot_ more. What a lovely surprise. And thanks to finally having full power, he had the energy to scream and struggle a lot more than he'd managed recently. Which was a shame since he'd just stopped screaming every time Nos-4-A2 drained him.

The pain of electricity being slowly ripped from his body set in, tearing and pulling energy out of every circuit in his body. It was worse than ever before. It was so slow, _agonizingly_ slow. No matter how many times Nos-4-A2 did it, having the life torn from his body gradually was traumatic and agonizing.

He couldn't stop it. The pain was inescapable. It was unbearable.

_**Power Levels At 98 Percent.** _

And it would last for an eternity.

The pain was everywhere. He couldn't even tell if it was from his struggling motor, the fangs buried in one of his main power lines, or the sheer agony of the energy draining. There was nothing but pain. Every system, every servo, every circuit, and every scrap of metal were practically screaming in anguish.

_**Power Levels At 95 Percent.** _

He hated it. He just wanted it to stop. He didn't care how. Arrest Nos-4-A2. Destroy the energy vampire. Or even just knock XR offline for a while. Or destroy him permanently. Anything to escape the endless cycles of pain. He just wanted it to stop.

But it never would. It would keep going forever and ever. Nos-4-A2 would keep recharging him and then ripping the power out of his body. It would never end.

_**Power Levels At 93 Percent.** _

It would never stop because that would be a mercy. Permanent destruction would be a mercy. And Nos-4-A2 had no mercy. He was a monster. A nightmarish monster who delighted in the pain and agonized screams that filled his hidden lair. He existed to rip and tear away at electricity, the very life of his captive robot. He lived for the suffering that XR couldn't escape.

_**Power Levels At 91 Percent.** _

He was drowning in a sea of overwhelming agony. He could barely think beyond the slow and steady pull of pain. Thought and memory were almost lost to him.

But XR tried to rise above the awful sensation that consumed his body. He tried to find his tiny speck of hope.

_**Power Levels At 89 Percent.** _

Buzz. Booster. Mira.

They would come. His friends would come.

Buzz. Booster. Mira. XL.

He needed to hang on a little longer. He could do it.

_**Power Levels At 86 Percent.** _

Buzz. Booster. Mira. His team.

XL. His older brother.

Commander Nebula. Pops. Dad. His father.

They would come. His family would come for him.

They would find him. They would save him. They had to.

Please.

* * *

Lana Celeste prided herself in taking care of her co-workers. When Kyle had a mild case of the Gouldian Flu, she brought him some delicious soup and a fuzzy blanket when he insisted on working anyway. When Jessie broke up with her boyfriend, she lent a sympathetic ear, reminded the younger woman that there were plenty of other available guys out there who would love to meet someone as nice as the red-head, and helped shred all traces of the cheating loser's belongings. And she _might_ have found his address and paid him a little visit to put the fear of Celeste into him. Then there was the time that Star Command was invaded by some type of furry creatures that kept multiply and she provided cover fire during evacuations.

Yes, Lana took care of her co-workers. She liked to think of their small collection of paper-pushers as family. And she took care of the five people she worked with. She did not like it when they were upset and she watched out for them with all four eyes.

So when XL became upset over his missing brother, she'd started watching him more carefully. She knew her sweet little copier/fax machine assistant needed special attention. Being a Space Ranger was a dangerous job and there were always risks. That didn't make it any easier when one vanished.

But she was hopeful that there might be some good news. XL had been called upstairs for some type of meeting. Lana hoped it was news that they'd found XR and that XL had nothing more to worry about. The moment he stepped off the elevator, however, she knew that she was wrong.

"Sweetie, what happened?" she asked the visibly distraught and slightly afraid little robot.

"He got my baby brother!" said XL, sounding heart-broken. "He's got him and he's doing horrible things to him. He sent a recording and it was days ago. I don't know what we're going to do. Dad is mad. Buzz and the others are upset. And even that Wirewolf person seemed to know it's really bad."

Lana didn't have to even think before she wrapped her arms around the poor robot. She knew that XL used to be a dangerous criminal, but that was in the past. Now he was her little adorable assistant who was always so polite and helpful to her. And he was upset. He was upset and she needed to make things better. A hug might not be much, but it was a start.

"Who has him, XL, sweetie? Who has XR?" she asked gently, still hugging the little guy.

"Nos-4-A2," he whimpered. "He's back and he's got XR. He _hates_ XR. And he sees robots as a snack. And we don't know where he is or how we're going to get XR back. And I can't do anything about it."

She remembered the stories about Nos-4-A2. XL mentioned him a few times, usually before shuddering at the memory of the energy vampire. But most of what she knew was from the mission files. After all, she tended to copy, organize, and file most of them. She managed to read most of the files and knew that Nos-4-A2 was a dangerous figure that was especially hazardous for other robots. Out of all the possible people who could kidnap XL's sibling, the energy vampire was the worst.

"What am I going to do, Lana? I can't leave my baby brother to him. I mean, I used to want to smash XR to bits and everything, but not anymore. I don't want him to get attacked by Nos-4-A2. I mean, anymore than he's already hurt him. But I can't stop him," XL continued frantically, still clinging to her desperately in a hug. "I can't do anything. I'm too small and don't have any weapons in this body. And I supposed to do clerical work, but how can I make copies and fax letters when Nos-4-A2 is out there somewhere with XR?" He let go of the hug finally so he could look up at Celeste directly and said, "I'm a horrible big brother. Aren't older siblings supposed to take care of the younger ones? That's how it works, right? And that's what I'm supposed to do now that I'm a good guy again. But I can't protect him and I can't help him. I'm just useless."

"Don't talk like that," said Lana, ideas already spinning around her head. "You're not useless. You're my sweet and helpful XL. And I'm going to help you."

She quickly led the small robot back to her station and pulled up her computer. She didn't have a completed plan in mind yet, but she had the first part of one. And it wouldn't be too hard for her to set things in motion for it.

"What are we doing?" XL asked cautiously.

"Well, while I adore your current body, you're right when you said that it wouldn't really work for anything resembling a rescue mission. So I'm tracking down where they stored your old one," said Lana cheerfully.

"Uh, isn't that information highly classified and restricted? So that I'm _not_ tempted to start looking for it?" he said uneasily.

Lana shrugged as she looked through the computer files and said, "I told you. I did a lot of hacking when I was younger. And I'm _very_ good at it. I can find anything that Star Command might have on file quite easily. Just don't tell Commander Nebula. He worries too much anyway."

"And, uh, I'm not supposed to have any weapons since I'm on probation. Remember?"

"No weapons _unless_ your superior gives you temporary permission. They always include that sort of thing in case Star Command gets taken over or there's an attack or something. And technically I'm your superior. And if it helps rescue your little brother, I definitely give you permission, sweetie."

While most of her focus was on the computer screen, Lana caught sight of how his face just lit up at her words. He actually looked like he had hope again. Good. She didn't want her little assistant to be upset. She would help take care of this problem and make sure that everything worked out.

After all, she might perform clerical work, but she was still technically a Space Ranger. And that meant she helped people in need.


	6. It Is Personal

As the last few amps flowed out of the small robot, Nos-4-A2's pleasure reached new heights. He pulled his fangs from the cable and closed the service panel. His eternal hunger for energy had quieted to a soft whisper. For the moment, the energy vampire felt truly satisfied. His appetite for power and the terror of his prey was sated.

Nos-4-A2 actually felt mildly surprised and impressed by his self-control. With the Little One fully-charged and the energy vampire fresh from hunting, he'd managed to stretch out his feeding for longer than Nos-4-A2 could have imagined. For almost two hours straight, he'd kept his fangs buried in the cable. Sometimes he paused his consumption to ensure XR's straining motor didn't burn out, but Nos-4-A2 mostly kept his feeding slow and constant. He'd certainly accomplished his self-imposed goal of setting a record.

Furthermore, the lengthy energy draining satisfied Nos-4-A2's predatory programming to a greater extent than any other single experience. Almost two hours of intense agony and pure terror from the Little One stimulated intense waves of excitement, ecstasy, and pure pleasure that filled Nos-4-A2 completely. It was _thrilling_. And with XR's wide variety of reactions to his pain and fear over that period of time, the energy vampire's exhilarating and blissful experience kept intensifying and strengthening until the end.

Until the Little One lost all energy and went offline for now, he did everything that Nos-4-A2 enjoyed from his prey. He screamed loud and intense enough to rattle his voice box, almost like the first day of captivity again. He fought and pulled desperately against his restraints, slightly tearing at the places where XR's limbs were bolted to the table and yet still unable to break free. He shouted for someone, _anyone_ to save him. He begged for mercy. He begged for unconsciousness. He begged for it to stop. He whimpered. He threatened the energy vampire, promising to lock him away. He painfully gasped and struggled to make any coherent sounds as the pain and fear grew too much to bear. He mumbled reassurances to himself, saying "they'll find me" repeatedly. He called out names as if he could summon his teammates or other Space Rangers to save him. He sobbed out pleas for help, for it to stop, for an end to his suffering.

XR responded to the prolonged energy draining with every possible reaction Nos-4-A2 could imagine; switching, alternating, and repeating the various behaviors multiple times over the course of the two hours. His prey was afraid and in unbearable pain, but it was more than that. The Little One's hope was fading. XR's spirit was breaking down just as certainly as his motor was under the continued strain.

Soon there would be no spark of personality left, the Little One growing resigned to his fate and he would be unable to do anything more than quietly whimper. Nos-4-A2 had seen it before. He'd pushed his victims to that state before. When XR lost the will to live, there would be no reason to drag out his revenge any longer. He wouldn't bring Nos-4-A2 the same predatory pleasure to torment anymore. All good things must come to an end.

But before this aspect of his revenge was complete, Nos-4-A2 would need to arrange that video conference with Star Command. They needed to see how powerless they truly were to stop him. They needed to see how completely they'd failed to save someone who should have been under their protection. They would suffer by seeing, hearing, and even speaking to their lost teammate, but unable to help. Star Command would get one last chance to see the Little One before Nos-4-A2 finally finished off his favorite delicious morsel.

Nos-4-A2 ran his claws along XR's clear helmet, smirking at the still and silent figure. He would miss draining power from the Little One. He would miss XR's fear and pain responses. Perhaps he would find another robot someday with similarly advanced artificial intelligence, a robot with nearly organic emotions. It would be such a shame to never experience such ecstasy and excitement again.

* * *

Whenever he got his hands on the energy vampire, Commander Nebula would blast his smug triangular head off his body. He hated Nos-4-A2. Between kidnapping a Space Ranger, _torturing_ the Space Ranger, and then sending a recording of his actions to brag about it, Nos-4A2 was making things very personal with Star Command. And regardless of how much Nebula tried to ignore or deny it, hurting XR made it personal to him.

He'd watched the rest of the recording afterwards when he turned it over to the LGMs to study for clues on finding Nos-4-A2. The small, cheerful, annoyingly-enthusiastic at times, and loyal robot ranger didn't deserve what happened. Trapped for _days_ with the energy vampire, in pain and afraid of Nos-4-A2 and unable to escape or fight back. Nebula saw the bolts driven through his limbs. XR wouldn't be able to get free alone, no matter how resourceful Rangers might be. Nebula watched the rest of that recording, seeing the fear and despair in the robot's expression and hearing the screams of pain.

No one, no matter how much they may dislike or distrust robots, would be able to deny that they have feelings after watching that recording.

Zurg might prefer large-scale threats to the Galactic Alliance, but Nos-4-A2 was certainly one of his more cruel and vicious creations. For most of the galaxy, he was merely dangerous and smart. For anyone not organic, he was a deadly monster who could harm and control them in ways no one else could. And yet time and time again, XR faced what must be a robot's worst nightmare because it was his duty as a Space Ranger and to keep the galaxy safe. He was more vulnerable to Nos-4-A2 than any other Ranger and he still faced the energy vampire every single time.

And because he possessed the courage that any Ranger would be proud of, XR became a target and threat to Nos-4-A2. He gained the energy vampire's attention enough for Nos-4-A2 to seek him out for revenge. Nebula might not know machines as well as some people did, but he knew what the twisted, evil, and cruel criminal would do now that he had his claws on the person who stood in his way one too many times.

They were running out of time. They needed to find Nos-4-A2's hiding place. The longer the energy vampire was free, the longer he could torture XR. And eventually Nos-4-A2 would either push things too far or he would grow bored. When that moment came, XR would be gone forever.

No more headaches from someone trying to restart a secret poker game in Star Command.

No more messing with the budget to ensure the LGMs always had enough funds for replacement parts.

No more surprising victories against evil because of the Ranger who would have never been built if he didn't sign everything without reading it.

No more obnoxious little robot desperately looking for approval.

…

No more saying "I'm not your father" even while secretly proud and starting to get used to the title.

Nos-4-A2 would not get away with this. He would not get the chance to kill one of their Rangers. XR was stronger and tougher than he looked. The little guy would survive long enough to be rescued. They knew that they were looking for the energy vampire now. They had a lead. They were making progress. Any and all information about other missing robots that Nos-4-A2 might be "hunting" was being gathered so they could try narrowing down the search.

And in the meantime, Nebula needed to check on the progress with the LGMs. He needed to find out if they learned anything useful and if they were almost done with their "special project" they'd mentioned when they learned what was happening.

If Nos-4-A2 wanted to make things personal by going after one of _his_ Rangers, Commander Nebula would be happy to take more extreme measures against the energy vampire.

Stepping into the Science Bay, Nebula demanded, "It's been two days since we got the recording. Tell me you've got something for me."

"No useful information on the recording, Commander," announced one of the closest LGMs.

"No way to locate him," another added regretfully.

"Craters," muttered Nebula. "I should have known that would be too easy. And what about something to take out that blasted energy vampire? Nos-4-A2 can fly, drains our spacesuits in almost every encounter, can control machines, and is far too skilled at escaping. We need every advantage possible. We _cannot_ risk him getting away once we find him. We have to be able to capture him quickly."

Another LGM walked over with a box in his arms. A quick glance inside showed it was filled with flat disks. About the size of Nebula's hand, the disks were a silver-white color with a green button in the center. Nebula counted at least a dozen of them, all identical with the Star Command emblem engraved on the button.

"We designed these a _looong_ time ago," the LGM explained. "Short-range EMP disks. Very experimental, but perfectly functional. Press the button and attach or throw the device at the target. Fifteen seconds later and it activates."

Picking one up to inspect more closely, Nebula asked, "And this will stop Nos-4-A2?"

"If he is in range, it will knock some or all of his systems offline. Would need more information on his schematics to be more precise on the result."

"If you designed these a while back, why haven't we tried using these before?" asked Nebula. "We've always had trouble with him. Shouldn't these things have become standard issued equipment for the energy vampire by now?"

"Too dangerous," one of the LGMs stated.

Another LGM said, "An electromagnetic pulse can't aim for only one target. Anything electronic in range will be disabled or destroyed."

"Like spacesuits or the control and life support systems of a spaceship," described a third LGM. "If the short-range EMP disk is too close in the wrong circumstances…"

"A Ranger could suffocate in space or end up nearly defenseless in a fight," Nebula finished, his imagination filling in the blank. And as an unpleasant idea occurred, he asked, "How bad would it be if one of these things activated near XR? It would be too much to hope that we apprehend Nos-4-A2 away from whatever dark hole he's lurking in and keeping our Ranger."

The closest LGMs looked rather uncomfortable and worried about the question. They shuffled uneasily and stared at the floor. Nebula knew before they spoke that they didn't have anything resembling good news.

"We designed XR to endure most destructive forces or be easily repaired, regardless of whatever he might encounter. Normally the short-ranged EMP disks would just knock him offline with minimal damage or risk," explained the LGM holding the box.

"But from what the recording showed, the energy vampire was putting a lot of strain on his systems and has likely continued to cause damage since then," another LGM continued. "It is difficult to know for certain without more information about his current state, but the stress and damage to his systems might leave him more vulnerable to serious harm to vital components."

Remembering Nos-4-A2's unnerving "lesson" from the recording about the one part that was irreplacable, Nebula asked, "Like his AI chip?"

The LGMs nodded unhappily in unison, prompting Nebula to rub the back of his neck tiredly. No wonder they never mentioned the short-ranged EMP disks before that point. Regardless of how much trouble Nos-4-A2 caused the Rangers in the past, it was too dangerous to casually use the things. The dangers of it knocking out spacesuits was bad enough, but it was more than that. The energy vampire always faced Lightyear's team and they were also the only team with a member as vulnerable to the inventions as Nos-4-A2.

If they armed the Rangers with the disks to take on the energy vampire, there would be significant risks. In close quarters, they could disable their own weapons or even kill the robot they were trying to rescue. And in open spaces, Nos-4-A2 could simply escape before he could be affected. Honestly, Nebula didn't like the risks. But he also hated the energy vampire and he knew they needed every advantage possible in order to save XR before it was too late.

The group of LGMs abruptly looked distracted. For a moment, Nebula wondered what caught their attention since he didn't see or hear anything. Then he realized what was going on. The Uni-Mind thing. What one knew, they all did.

"Commander," one of the LGMs said urgently. "Someone is trying to contact you. The signal is being scrambled, but the message said they will speak to you in exactly five minutes."

"And requests that Lightyear's team be present," another LGM added.

It didn't take a genius to guess what was happening. Either Zurg decided to perform one of his semi-regular evil monologue sessions or Nos-4-A2 wanted to gloat again. And if it was the energy vampire and he did intend to actually contact them rather than sending another recording, maybe he would mess up and reveal something they could use to track him down. A single mistake could be the key to figuring out where XR was being held.

And whether or not he was still intact.

Banishing that negative thought from his mind, Nebula ordered, "Contact Buzz and the others. Tell them to meet me in the conference room. Last time I checked, their ship was refueling, so they have to be around here somewhere. And contact Ty Parsec if he's on site. He's already been involved from the start." Hesitating briefly, he added, "But don't tell XL yet. He might do something impulsive. Or start panicking. And while you're at it, keep trying to unscramble the signal enough for us to track it. We _need_ a location."

As the LGMs scurried to fulfill his orders, Nebula tossed the disk back in the box and marched his way back out. Not for the first time, he wished he was a few decades younger and with both of his original legs. He wanted nothing more than to personally hunt down that energy vampire and blast a laser through his servo pump. Nos-4-A2 would pay for messing with his Rangers.

* * *

Savy SL2 struggled to keep silent as she listened from the ventilation shaft above the Science Bay. The dark-haired girl knew something was wrong when XR didn't show up when the Junior Space Rangers arrived for the regular visit to the space station, the robot normally trying to sell merchandise and at least greet her. Unless his team was on a mission somewhere, he always made an appearance. And since she'd always gotten along better with robots than organics even before her adoption, Savy always kept an eye out for the only robot Space Ranger.

She'd known that no one would tell her anything useful if she just asked where XR was. She was "just a kid" and most of the Rangers just didn't seem to understand that growing up on Tradeworld meant growing up fast. They would have made excuses or told her it was nothing to worry her little head about. Ranger Lightyear would have probably been honest, but she'd decided to take a more direct approach. Slipping away from the other Junior Space Rangers was easy. The group might teach skills like planning, team coordination, and resisting the urge to act impulsively, but she'd learned stealth a long time ago. She used her small size and snuck through the ventilation system of the space station, something she'd explored extensively during the various trips. And from there, a little eavesdropping gave her all the answers she needed.

Nos-4-A2 was back. That evil energy vampire was alive. She remembered XR talking about the creepy robot being destroyed on Planet Z, the Ranger shuddering slightly at the memory of the monster. But now the energy vampire that stalked her homeworld and nearly stole away her family forever was back. He was back, he had XR, and Star Command didn't know where Nos-4-A2 was hiding.

Savy watched as Commander Nebula marched out, heading towards the conference room. And thanks to her knowledge of the ventilation system for the entire space station, she knew how to get there herself. Not caring how filthy her uniform would get or what Mom would say when she saw the smudges, the girl started crawling as fast as she could.

She wouldn't let Nos-4-A2 get away with this. She hated the monster. He attacked poor, innocent robots. He attacked her parents. And he hated XR. She'd seen that the very first time she met the Ranger. Nos-4-A2 hated XR on a personal level and attacking him was more to make XR suffer than it was to merely drain his power. Well, if the energy vampire wanted a fight, she would be happy to give it to him.

She crept and crawled through the ventilation shafts, moving as quickly and quietly as possible. She knew she had five minutes to get there. That was when _he_ would be contacting them. And once she figured out where that monster was hiding, Savy would use her new planning skills to hunt him down and slay him permanently this time. It might take a little work in order to get to whatever planet or asteroid he might be lurking on, but there were ways of getting around that.

Mom and Dad would worry. That thought nagged at the back of Savy's mind. They were happy she was trying to fit in with other children by joining the Junior Space Rangers. And it could be fun at times and she did like seeing XR on the space station, so she didn't mind too much. She didn't want to upset her parents or worry them. She was just too relieved and happy to have them back.

But this was Nos-4-A2. This was personal. She refused to just stand aside and let that monster fly around free. And she couldn't just leave XR in his clutches. She'd heard enough that night to know what kind of revenge the energy vampire would try on the smaller robot. Savy couldn't let that happen when there was even the slightest chance that she could help. Mom and Dad would have to understand.

Even with the patience, planning, and restraint that Junior Space Rangers tried to instill in its members, some things just couldn't be denied. She was a girl of action. When monsters came flying back out of the darkness or a friend was in danger, Savy couldn't just let someone handle things. She needed to help.

Finally, she spotted the grate that would overlook the conference room. The girl crept into position. Whatever happened next, she would have a front seat to the action.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it is a little short, but this was the logical stopping point. Hopefully you liked the chapter, regardless of the length.


	7. Only Move Available

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is time to see how XR's sliver of an idea works out for him. He doesn't have a lot to work with, but he's going to do the best he can. But I will warn you now. Things get a bit brutal in this chapter. 
> 
> Also, writing for Buzz Lightyear is a bit tricky for me. He's just not one of those characters who come naturally for me. But I always do the best I can and hope it will be enough.

XR knew Nos-4-A2 was biding his time for the video conference with Star Command. After the longest and worst energy draining imaginable, Nos-4-A2 actually backed off a little. No more elaborate and drawn out sessions. Just recharge occasionally and drain.

XR knew it wasn't a kindness. Nos-4-A2 didn't want him to expire before the show. He didn't want XR to completely burn out yet. Nos-4-A2 wanted to keep him alive and slightly reactive until he could show off to an audience.

In response, XR acted like he was completely broken emotionally and mentally. It wasn't _much_ of an exaggeration. The pain, fear, and exhaustion of the intense and long energy draining where the energy vampire drew it out as much as possible… It left its mark on him. It wore away at that tiny flicker of hope he'd tried to cling to. And the physical damage kept accumulating. So many circuits were burned out by the continued stress. He needed to reroute so much of his systems in order to operate on any level. He'd even blocked off the majority of the endless error messages so that he could actually think occasionally.

But he wasn't completely broken yet. He didn't really have any hope left of being rescued in time, but his willpower was still intact. And if Nos-4-A2 thought the damage was worse than it actually was, he would be unprepared for what XR had planned.

XR knew he would be taking a huge risk. He only had one chance to use his sliver of an idea. And Nos-4-A2 would not react well when it happened. As much as XR wanted to deny it and cling to his nearly-extinguished hope, he knew he probably wouldn't make it out alive. He just couldn't see a better option. Nos-4-A2 intended to kill him. The energy vampire would do everything in his power to destroy him. His team wouldn't reach XR in time. He could admit it now. All XR could do was drag Nos-4-A2 down with him.

There was only one move available to him. He was dealt a bad hand in a game with incredible high stakes. Not even the best poker player in the universe would be able to turn it around. But with a little bluffing and using his one card at the right moment, he might be able to at least take Nos-4-A2 out of the game.

* * *

Buzz was raised with a strong sense of right and wrong. He couldn't even imagine choosing to do the wrong thing when the right choice was obvious. And while that generally meant obeying the rules (especially since he wrote the majority of the rules in the book), Buzz had occasionally chosen to do what was right over what was ordered. But regardless, he always did what was right because the alternative was unthinkable.

And just as Buzz possessed a strong sense of right and wrong, he knew that good always conquered evil. No matter the challenges, good always prevailed. But Buzz wasn't so oblivious that he did not realize that evil could take time to stop and that there could costs to the eventual victory. If the job of stopping evil was easy or safe, Space Rangers wouldn't be necessary. They knew the risks.

That did not change the fact that Buzz hated the idea of losing his partners. He'd gone through it once with Warp Darkmatter, though that later turned out to be more of a "betrayal" than a "demise." Regardless, it left him temporarily unwilling to risk having partners at all. He'd wanted to prevent another loss. That was one of the main reasons for XR's existence in the first place; the LGMs wanted to provide a partner who would survive anything and who Buzz wouldn't lose in the line of duty. Among his team, XR was the one that he knew could endure any danger and would make it back to Star Command at the end of the day. Perhaps not in one piece, but in a state that could be repaired. He was the one that Buzz didn't have to worry about as much.

Unfortunately, they no longer had that guarantee. Nos-4-A2 seemed to be as cunning and cruel as the evil emperor who built him, the energy vampire living up to Zurg's legacy with his latest plot. Buzz knew good would conquer evil and that Nos-4-A2 would face justice. It was an inevitable fact. But after searching for so long, he began to wonder how high the cost would be before good was victorious. And though he would never mention it to Booster or Mira since he refused to let them lose hope, Buzz worried that a good Space Ranger might be that cost.

They'd stopped by Star Command to refuel, the entire remaining team members running themselves ragged searching for any clue. They'd been all over the galaxy in the last few days. It was pure luck they were present when the message arrived and Commander Nebula summoned them again. He called the team, only telling Buzz and the others that they'd received a transmission. And unless Emperor Zurg abruptly decided to cause trouble, Buzz suspected it was connected to Nos-4-A2.

So once again, he, Booster, Mira, and Ty filed into a room where Nebula waited. Only XL was missing this time and Buzz could understand why they might leave the other robot out of the loop. It would just worry him.

A large screen commanded most of their attention. Right now, it was blank. That could change at any moment.

"Apparently we have one or two minutes before Nos-4-A2's planned video conference," said Nebula, his posture and voice tense. "The LGMs will try to trace the signal, but we need to keep an eye out too for any hint of where that blasted energy vampire is lurking with our Space Ranger. We need to find something useful about the location. We can't keep flying around blindly and hoping for the best."

"You think this will lead us to XR?" Booster asked hopefully.

The look on his face nearly broke Buzz's heart. The sad, hopeful, and tired expression that had dominated Booster's features for the last few days seemed unnatural. He was always the most optimistic and sensitive member of the team. His heart was just so big and held so much compassion. The young Space Ranger wasn't handling XR's disappearance well at all. He was always the closest to XR. And if they couldn't find the robot in time, it would completely destroy Booster.

"We'll find him," assured Mira. "We're Space Rangers."

She might hope and want to believe it, but there was a hint of doubt in her voice. Growing up in the political atmosphere of the Tangean royal court rather than the Jo-adian family farm left her a little more cynical about the universe than Booster. She recognized that even a victory had costs. She wanted to trust that they would find XR in time, but she also knew Nos-4-A2 would do everything in his power to prevent it.

"As soon as we catch even the smallest lead for their location, we'll need to move out. That energy vampire is too clever and sneaky for us to let him escape," said Ty. "He's toying with us right now. If we get close and miss, he'll vanish with your teammate."

Anything else they might have wanted to say was cut off by the screen coming to life in a burst of static. Everyone instantly stared at it intently. The static gradually gave way to a close-up of Nos-4-A2's face. The glowing eyes and the predatory grin took up the entire screen as he leered at his audience.

"Lovely. You're all here. Even Parsec showed up. How are you, my pet?" greeted Nos-4-A2, practically purring the words.

"I'll be better after you're locked up," Ty snapped.

"You were far more entertaining as a dumb beast." The energy vampire looked towards the rest of them and said, "Behold the pride of Star Command. The bravest, boldest, and smartest Space Rangers available. And you're no closer to finding me than you were a few days ago. You're no closer to finding your missing Ranger. Someone you should be able to protect and yet you left him in my possession. I have to question your competence. Or perhaps the Little One truly is expendable to you."

"Enough," interrupted Nebula in a harsh tone. "What have you done with our Space Ranger?"

Nos-4-A2 smirked in response. He pulled back from the screen enough that they could see the entire energy vampire rather than just his face. But the rest of the room was still blocked from view by his cape. There were no clues to his location yet.

"Commander, did I touch a sore subject? I suppose no one enjoys admitting their failures. But I suppose you're right. I did promise you the opportunity to speak to your missing teammate. And I would hate to disappoint."

The exposed fangs of his grin didn't reassure anyone. And when the energy vampire moved to the side, everyone flinched. They finally saw XR.

As bad as the robot looked in the recording, that had been from the start of his captivity. By now the damage was more extensive and unpleasant. They'd seen him blown up into dozens of pieces numerous times, but this was different. Tiny holes dotted all over his body, evidence of Nos-4-A2's countless feedings. Where the thick bolts were driven through his limbs, Buzz could see slight tears obviously caused by XR trying to pull free and fighting them. Currently, his eyes were dark and his power off. XR just dangled limply in his restraints as a silent testimony of the energy vampire's cruelty. He'd clearly struggled to break free and failed. And he'd suffered the entire time he was missing.

Picking up the charger unit, Nos-4-A2 said with mock friendliness, "How rude, Little One. Napping while company is trying to chat with us? I'll have to correct that."

Before anyone could react, the energy vampire sent a jolt of power into XR. Compared to the first time they saw him shock the small robot on the recording, he barely whimpered as he electricity jerked him back online. He didn't move beyond that. XR just dangled limply, the glow of his eyes dimmer than normal as he stared down. He just looked broken in all sense of the word.

* * *

Power jolted back into his body, yanking XR back online and scrambling his processor momentarily. The sensation had grown far too familiar. It still hurt, but it was nothing compared to that drawn out and extensive energy draining session from before. He could handle it.

_**Power Levels At 23 Percent.** _

He forced himself to remain limp and quiet. Thanks to how many circuits were burned out now, his visual and audio input was not as sharp as normal. He wasn't completely blind and deaf, but it still wasn't pleasant having his senses weaker while in the presence of a predator.

"Good morning, Little One," crooned Nos-4-A2, his voice sounding slightly muffled. "Why don't you take a moment to gather your thoughts a bit? Then we can see what your friends think of my hospitality."

Then, in a voice that sounded like it held back as long as possible, he heard Booster shout, "XR!"

Don't react fast. Don't jerk. XR fought his natural inclination to yank his head up instantly, though his sputtering motor went a little faster at the familiar voice. The painful jolt of speed from his failing motor didn't help any, but it made it easier to resist the urge to glance up at the sound of his name.

He wanted to know he wasn't alone. He wanted to see them. After so long with only the terrifying monster for company, he was desperate for a friendly face.

But he needed to hide what little strength he had left. He needed Nos-4-A2 to believe all the fight was gone from him. The monster needed to think he'd already won.

With slow and unsteady motions that would look completely exhausted and weak, XR raised his head. The blank screen that he'd seen on his first day was no longer blank. Instead, XR saw the angry, worried, and shocked expressions of Booster, Mira, Buzz, Nebula, and even Ty Parsec. He wasn't even sure why the former wirewolf was involved, but XR didn't mind another person obviously upset with the energy vampire. And he especially didn't mind how furious Nebula looked. Pops was definitely angry about the situation and that was comforting.

"XR, don't worry. We'll save you," Mira reassured.

"You're going to regret laying a claw on one of my Rangers," said Nebula.

Buzz added, "You should make this easier and turn yourself in, Nos-4-A2. We all know how this is going to end."

And there went the energy vampire's laugh. XR _hated_ that laugh. Almost as much as his freaky shriek. It still made him shudder. But XR needed to wait a little longer. He only had one chance and he couldn't risk it until he was certain. He needed Nos-4-A2 away from the screen and XR himself. So he waited and tried to keep his unsteady motor from racing at the sound of that laugh.

Dragging his claws across XR's clear helmet, Nos-4-A2 said, "Do you hear that, Little One? They think I'll surrender and give back my favorite morsel. It's like they don't know me at all."

"Yeah, I guessed it wouldn't be that easy," muttered Ty. "Listen, I'm sure a busy guy like you has a lot to deal with. At least, I assume so. Other than sending taunting messages to us and kidnapping Ranger, what does an energy vampire do?"

Moving away from the trapped robot, Nos-4-A2 said, "Trying to trick me into sharing some clues about where I'm hiding? I expected better from you."

XR kept himself as quiet and still as possible, subtly watching the energy vampire. He knew that Nos-4-A2 would start moving around the room, showing off and acting dramatic for his audience. Nos-4-A2 would want to make them feel completely powerless. He would want to put on a show. And when he moved, XR would be ready.

He was still scared, still in pain, and still exhausted, but XR would act when the opportunity struck. It couldn't get worse. Not really. XR had been blown up numerous times, shot, torn apart, and smashed. He'd been mind controlled. And he'd been attacked by the energy vampire repeated. And in the past, XR would reassure himself that it could've been worse and did his best to avoid suffering the worst in the future. But after the energy draining that lasted for an eternity, XR knew it really couldn't get worse. There was literally nothing Nos-4-A2 could do to him that could make him suffer more than he already had. Even destroying XR permanently would be a kindness in comparison.

XR knew he would die soon, one way or another. And he knew that Nos-4-A2 couldn't make him suffer any more than he already had. There was no real risk left. There was no reason to plead, bargain, beg, or avoid antagonizing the energy vampire. It wouldn't do him any good and his situation couldn't get worse. The only question was whether or not the energy vampire would get away with everything. That was the only decision left that could have any meaning. So while part of him like always urged at least a little caution in a dangerous situation, he knew there was no turning back. Fear wouldn't dictate his choice.

He did regret that this would be the last time he would see his team: through slightly out-of-focused visual receptors over a signal to a large screen. They weren't even really in the room or on the same planet. Buzz, Booster, Mira… Pops… This would be his last chance to see any of them and he couldn't say anything to them. He couldn't risk asking Booster to move his stash of poker winnings before Nebula or Buzz found it, asking Mira to keep an eye on XL, or even asking Pops if he would miss him. Instead, XR needed to keep quiet and still. He needed to be completely docile and his spirit broken. He needed Nos-4-A2 to underestimate him for a little longer.

"If you don't plan to surrender or release XR, what _do_ you want?" asked Nebula, his voice nearly a growl.

"I want you to realize that you've lost, Commander," Nos-4-A2 said. "You've _failed_. How can you protect the galaxy when you can't save one robot? The Little One was one of your own, surrounded daily by other Space Rangers. He should have been safe and protected. And now he's _mine_. I won and you've lost."

And now the energy vampire was properly monologuing. He was _definitely_ Zurg's creation. The ego was on full display. He started floating back and forth, beginning to pace the room. XR tried to conceal how he tensed in preparation. Soon. It would soon be time.

"XR," Booster whimpered, his eyes never leaving the small robot the entire time. "XR, please say something."

He couldn't react. He couldn't respond. He needed to focus on exactly where Nos-4-A2 hovered and even which way he faced. That didn't make it any easier to listen to Booster's heart-broken voice and see the upset expressions on his teammates. He'd _missed_ his friends. He didn't want this to be their final memories of him. But XR already knew how this would end.

"And I want you to know that this is merely the start of my revenge," Nos-4-A2 continued. "I shall deal with all of you at a time you least expect it. I'll hunt down that little girl from Tradeworld. I'll find that Rhizomian scientist. Everyone who ever interfered will suffer. The Little One was merely the first of those you will fail to save."

 _There_. Nos-4A2 was away from the controls and XR. He was facing the screen, not the captive robot. He was in full gloat mode, so his reactions would be slower than normal due to distraction. This was it. The circumstances were as good as they could get.

XR dropped the feigned levels of excessive weakness, straightening up as much as possible in his restraints and letting his stubborn resolve to finally appear in his expression. Well, stubborn resolve and absolute hatred for the energy vampire. He saw the looks of surprise and shock appear on his fellow Rangers at the transformation, demonstrating how effective his act was. But XR couldn't think about it. Time was limited before Nos-4-A2 noticed or pain, exhaustion, and damage extinguished his momentary strength.

As Nos-4-A2 paused in response to the emotional change from his audience, XR made his one available move. Spite and hatred gave him the courage and strength to raise his voice for the first time during the video conference.

" _Tradeworld_! He's on Tradeworld! He's been hunting! Look for missing—"

The animalistic and terrifying shriek of an angry energy vampire interrupted the frantic stream of words. Nos-4-A2 pounced on the trapped robot. His eyes glowed bright with unbridled fury as he dug his claws into XR's shoulders. It hurt, another pain to add to the other countless agonies. He flinched at the pain, but XR met his gaze firmly with a manic grin.

"That was a _poor_ decision," hissed the energy vampire.

XR heard his friends calling his name desperately. He heard Nebula shouting at the energy vampire to get away from his Ranger. But it was too late. He'd played his only card. His friends knew where to look for Nos-4-A2 now and would eventually find him. That was all he could do. His fate was sealed. XR was done.

"I won't win, but you've _lost_. They'll catch you. That's good enough for me," XR spat out. "I beat you again. You'll have to live with that."

The taunts somehow managing to inflame his temper further, Nos-4-A2 snarled, "But you _won't_!"

XR expected fangs and the energy being ripped out of his body, either quickly or slowly. He expected the energy vampire to fall back on his programmed reactions.

Instead, he'd apparently pushed his enemy too far and wound up with Nos-4-A2 plunging into a blind fury. Claws released XR's shoulders. Leaving deep gashes behind, in order to brutally tear the entire service panel off. And as XR's motor churned and stuttered roughly, Nos-4-A2's clawed hand dove into the inner workings and ripped the closest wires.

_**Error. System Malfunction.** _

And again.

_**Error. System Malfunction.** _

And again.

No longer meticulous and controlled, the energy vampire acted savage and impulsive. It was a monstrous temper tantrum at being out-witted, Nos-3-A2 lashing out viciously. He didn't care about torture. He just wanted carnage.

_**Error. Critical System Malfunction.** _

There was too much. He couldn't block out the error messages. Couldn't reroute the systems fast enough. Nos-4-A2 ripped and tore out everything he could grab. The damage was closer to the destruction that XR was designed for, but everything was already strained beyond their limits. He couldn't cope.

He'd thought the pain and fear wouldn't be too bad. It couldn't be worse than before. But it still hurt. And he was still scared. No one could completely escape the fear of permanent death.

_**Warning. Multiple Critical Systems Failures.** _

Someone was shouting. Or maybe screaming. Him? Nos-4-A2? His team? Everyone? XR couldn't tell.

Everything was coming apart. His grinding motor struggled desperately; it stopped and started in uneven spurts that knocked him offline for a few nanoseconds at a time, adding to the chaotic confusion. All sensor input weakened and felt disjointed. He could barely think, barely operate. Everything was failing.

_**Malfunction. Multiple Critical Systems Offline. Recovery Failed. Immediate Action Required.** _

A pause in the visceral damage and the noise quieted. Nos-4-A2 must have finally cut the signal to Star Command. He was alone.

At least it was almost over. When he went offline this time, Nos-4-A2 would not revive him. No more torture. No more energy draining. No more pain. No more fear. It was almost over.

Sorry, Pops. He wished he could've done more. Wished he could've been better.

_**Warning. Warning. Warning.** _

Pressure on his motor. Not tearing. Crushing. Metal bending out of shape, stopping parts from moving. Grinding, struggling, breaking from strain. Motor forced to stop. Burning out. Can't—

* * *

Mira couldn't believe what just happened. From the instant that XR went from looking like his spirit was shattered to something far more determined, everyone's plans seemed to be disrupted. Well, everyone's plans except for possible XR. He seemed unsurprised by how events spiraled down, like he intended for it to happen. Any attempt to look for subtle hints of where they were hidden were rendered pointless when XR shouted out the answers, which clearly threw a wrench in Nos-4-A2's gloating and revenge plot. And while she'd seen Zurg fly into a terrifying blind rage before, this was the first time she'd seen the energy vampire reach this level of fury. He turned that anger on XR, who merely told Nos-4-A2 that he'd lost. And the energy vampire lashed out.

She'd seen XR blown up countless times. The team almost expected it to happen on a semi-regular basis. But having Nos-4-A2 violently tearing out everything inside the smaller robot just seemed more visceral and cruel. Everyone reacted to the sight, voices meshing together until Mira couldn't recognize the words they shouted. She did hear enough to know Nebula's focus seemed to be on threatening the energy vampire. Nos-4-A2 didn't seem to notice the noise. He just attacked the quickly-weakening robot.

Finally, Nos-4-A2 paused and glanced back towards the screen. Some of the furious, murderous, predatory look faded from his glowing red eyes as he apparently remembered his audience. He reached over and deactivated the signal, leaving their final glimpse of the energy vampire and their motionless teammate dissolving into static.

Mira honestly couldn't believe what happened. She just stared in shock at the blank screen while Booster sniffed and whimpered miserably, too stunned to collapse into proper sobbing. She didn't know what to say. How were they supposed to handle something like that?

"Tradeworld," said Ty in an unsteady voice. "He's on Tradeworld."

"The planet is too big. We'll never find him. At least not in time," Nebula said quietly.

"I might be able to narrow it down a little, Dad."

Mira spun around and jerked in surprise at what she saw. Standing at the doorway, clearly having observed the majority of the video conference, was XL. His grave and uneasy expression wasn't the most surprising part nor was the fact he was eavesdropping on a closed-door meeting. He wasn't his tiny fax-machine self anymore. XL's old body had been pulled from storage. Heavily-armed, built of mismatched parts, and large enough to take up most of the doorway, he no longer looked like someone who handled paperwork downstairs.

"What do you think you're doing in here? And what are you doing looking like _that_? You are not allowed near that body," Nebula snapped.

"I am if my supervisor gives me permission and Lana said I could borrow it. And I need it so we can find my baby brother," said XL. "I know how to do it too."

"You do?" asked Booster.

XL nodded and said, "Sure. My time as a violent criminal must have _some_ perks."

Nebula looked uncertain, but Buzz seemed intrigued. If there was even a remote possibility, Buzz would take it. He would never leave a good Ranger behind, even when things looked bleak. Mira hoped his plan might actually have a chance. Time was not on their side. Based on what she saw, it might even already be too late…

"What do you have in mind?" Buzz asked.

Stomping the rest of the way into the room, XL shooed everyone away from the center table and towards the edges of the room. Then he started rewiring the screen they'd been using. And as he worked, he talked.

"If Nos-4-A2 is hunting on Tradeworld, where are all the attacked robots? They were left all over the place last time he was on the planet, right? That's how you figured out he was hiding there. So why isn't there news this time? If it was me, I'd try to hide the broken robots. And I'd hide them where no one would notice."

Satisfied with whatever changes he made, XL moved his focus to the controls for the screen itself. Mira noticed that he was trying to contact someone else with the thing.

"Offline robots can draw attention. I know that. You know that. And he definitely knows that. But, um, spare parts don't. No one pays attention to spare parts that just so happen to be similar to what an offline robot might have used. And I know a guy who sells spare parts and doesn't ask many questions. If anyone would know anything useful, it would be him. So, um, give me a couple minutes and please don't say anything. He won't want to say anything to Space Rangers."

"If you're calling him from Star Command, don't you think he'd be suspicious?" asked Ty dryly.

"Not if I fixed it so he can't trace the signal location. Shhhh…"

Before anyone else could respond, the grumpy face of the Fixer appeared on screen. Mira bit off a sharp comment about that jerk. She also realized that XL arranged all of them so they would be out of view of the crooked salesman. It was easy to forget sometimes that even if XL wasn't always the brightest criminal in the past, he _did_ have some moments of brilliance when he put his mind to it.

"XL," greeted the Fixer. "I haven't heard from my best customer in ages. I was afraid you'd been arrested."

Chuckling briefly, he said, "Nothing like that. I just needed to keep a low profile for a while. You know how it is. Say, a little bird told me you've been picking up a lot of new merchandise lately. Anything good?"

It was a random guess. They had no proof the Fixer was involved or that he was getting more products recently. It was a bluff. But when the Fixer nodded, Mira realized that XL was on right track after all.

"Yeah, I've been getting a lot of new parts. I made a deal recently with a guy over in Killerville. He's been sending me plenty of merchandise at a _very_ appealing price. Just don't pay attention to the serial numbers, know what I mean?" He laughed before continuing, "Nothing really that fits your taste, but I'm making a tidy profit with some of my other customers. But I might have something nice in back that would be right up your alley. Something violent and explosive. Of course, I can't track your signal, so you'll have to give me an address if you want a delivery. Well, an address and payment."

"Actually, I think I'd rather come in to the store this time. Inspect the merchandise and everything. We'll bargain over the price then," XL said. "Be there soon."

He cut the signal and turned towards the mildly-impressed Space Rangers. Nebula gave a brief nod of approval at the large robot. XL practically beamed at the small gesture.

"Clever," said Ty. "Nos-4-A2 gives the dead robot to the Fixer and he hides the evidence by selling them for spare parts. They both benefit."

"Killerville still covers a lot of territory," Buzz said.

"Then we'll see if he can narrow it down further," said Ty. "Your team can head towards Killerville on Tradeworld while I go to talk to the Fixer. I'll contact you with any new information."

"You're not going down there without backup, Parsec," Nebula said.

Raising his larger hand, XL said, "I'll go with him. I know the Fixer and can tell when he's lying. And he knows better than keeping secrets from _me_. If he knows where Nos-4-A2 and XR are, he'll talk."

Mira didn't know whether to be worried that XL's tone reminded her of back when he was a criminal and that it sounded like he half-wanted to beat answers out of the Fixer. Of course, this guy was letting Nos-4-A2 fly around without telling anyone. If he'd come forward days ago, XR might have been safe at that moment. Maybe the Fixer deserved to be scared a little.

Any further thoughts on the matter were thoroughly interrupted as the grate for the ceiling vent was kicked free, hitting the table with a clatter. Everyone jumped in surprise at the noise and the young human girl who dropped out of the vents, landing lightly on her feet. The Junior Space Ranger uniform made it clear why she was at Star Command. What Mira didn't know was why the dark-haired child was in the vents in the first place or why she felt the need to drop from the ceiling.

"Savy?" asked Buzz, which instantly identified her to Mira as the kid from the second Nos-4-A2 case. "What do you think you're doing?"

Smacking his hand against his face tiredly, Nebula asked, "Doesn't anyone around here understand the idea of a private meeting?"

"I'm coming with you," she said.

"What?" asked Mira. "Are you crazy?"

"Savy, I know you've encountered Nos-4-A2 before," Buzz began, but the girl interrupted.

"XR is _my_ friend. Nos-4-A2 is on _my_ planet. Where _my_ parents, who are _robots_ , live. He already attacked them once. Do you really think I'm going to stand back and let him fly around free? No." She crossed her arms and glared at all of them firmly, "Look, I'll go after him again even if you try to take me home. I know the streets of Tradeworld and I know how to hunt Nos-4-A2. I've done it before. But you guys are better at strategy, planning, and stuff. So it's smarter to go with you and help rather than do it myself. But I will try it alone if I have to. And we really don't have time to argue. He's already hurt your Space Ranger. Maybe even killed him. I don't know. I didn't have the best view to see the damage. But Nos-4-A2 _will_ be stopped. And if one of you says something about me being 'just a kid,' I'll steal your spaceship right out of the station."

Ty chuckled and said, "I _like_ her, Lightyear."

"Great, because you're babysitting her," said Nebula.

"What?"

"She's right. We don't have time for this. Questioning the Fixer is the safer job, so she and XL will go with you while Lightyear, Nova, and Booster head to Killerville. Now get moving."


	8. Mounting a Rescue

Fury and frustration burned through his processor as he launched himself out of the secret room and into the air, his energy wings snapping out. Nos-4-A2 knew he'd lost control of his temper. He lashed out in rage and focused on destruction rather than torment. He embraced mindless violence. He lost control of the situation and himself. And by losing control, he ended his fun.

He felt furious because XR managed to alert his Space Rangers to his general location. He felt furious because XR tricked him into lowering his guard and not realizing his prey had some fight left. He felt frustrated that he would need to leave and find new hunting grounds, which would likely not be as plentiful as his current ones. Nos-4-A2 hated how XR's last words were declaring he'd beaten the energy vampire again, bringing up unpleasant memories of past failures and provoking him. And he despised the fact he lost his temper and lashed out like some dumb and wild organic beast. He ripped and tore rather than draining energy like always, acting like a savage.

Soaring out of the abandoned factory, Nos-4-A2 dove into the city with furious thoughts buzzing in his processor and a burning need to hunt. The pain and fear of the Little One as the energy vampire tore out everything his claws could reach of his inner workings and crushing his motor until it gave out… It awakened his appetite, but it was over too fast to sate him. He was left unsatisfied and frustrated, not even bothering to drain the last few joules in XR's broken and offline body. There was no real point. In that state, Nos-4-A2 couldn't enjoy himself as he finished off his prey. It wouldn't be enough to quench his need for energy and his appetite for suffering.

XR was as good as dead and useless, so Nos-4-A2 needed new prey. He needed to hunt a new victim and torment it enough to satisfy his burning desire to cause pain and fear. Then he would calm down enough to think rationally. Then he would be able to work on finding a way off the planet.

What a waste of a perfectly good planet full of robots and someone to hide the bodies. It was such a shame to surrender perfectly good hunting grounds. And he felt so disappointed with himself that he lost his favorite victim in such a boring fashion. But he couldn't change the past and would just have to deal with the situation as it was.

He would hunt. He would torment and drain his prey. And then he would leave forever. He could continue with his revenge later.

* * *

"Lightyear," said Nebula, making the man pause right before he reached the spaceship. "Before you go, take these with you."

When Buzz reached out a hand, Nebula gave him a few silver-white disks with green buttons. Buzz didn't recognize the devices, but he knew LGM handiwork when he saw it.

"These should help against the energy vampire," he explained. "Miniature EMP disks. Activate them and throw the things at Nos-4-A2. It'll hopefully disable or even knock him offline if he's in range. Just make sure that you're careful with the things. They'll also work on your spacesuits or… If he's still… Just be careful."

Buzz nodded solemnly. They all saw the same thing on screen. They knew how bad it looked. But if there was even the slightest chance of recovering their missing Ranger, they would find a way. And that apparently meant keeping the miniature EMP disks away from XR while using them to keep the energy vampire at bay.

"Thank you, Commander. I'll make sure to only use them on Nos-4-A2," Buzz said.

"Good," said Nebula with a nod. "And Lightyear…? Bring our Ranger home. No matter how bad it is, don't leave him there with that _thing_."

"We won't come back without him. We never leave a teammate behind."

* * *

Lana was going to be so impressed when he told her about this. XL led the way into the Fixer's place, enjoying the sensation of being tall and broad again. Being a walking arsenal with thick armor had a way of boosting a guy's confidence. It was good to be in his old body and he was finally going to be what he was created for. He was going to be the best Space Ranger possible.

XL just needed to remember the difference between a target to shoot at, his allies, and innocent bystanders. Indiscriminate blasting was why he spent a couple decades turned off and in storage. He needed to avoid repeating that mistake.

"XL," said the Fixer, "you're here. Come in, come in. It is great to have you back." He floated towards the robot in his anti-grav chair and spread his arms in welcome. "I have some nice merchandise that I'm sure you'll be interested in. I might even consider a discount since you've always been one of my best customers."

"Thanks, but I'm actually more interested in some information," he said.

The Fixer's nearly-perpetual scowl deepened into a frown of confusion. XL took the opportunity to take a step forward and clear the doorway, allowing his companions to enter on either side of him. The little girl in her Junior Space Ranger uniform might not be the most impressive sight initially, but Ranger Parsec was enough to make the Fixer gape in shock.

His mouth twitched a few times, trying to find the words. Then the Fixer tried to do the next logical move and escape. But there was a very large hand gripping his throat before he could go very far.

"Mr. The Fixer?" said Ty, sounding rather official and calm in the face of XL's actions. "We have reason to believe that you have been aiding and abetting a known felon and fugitive from the law. We would like to discuss the matter thoroughly."

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said in a rehearsed fashion. "And everyone is a welcome customer here. I don't discriminate against my customers just because they may or may not have criminal records." The Fixer gave XL a significant look. "Their uni-bucks are just as good as anyone else's. It isn't a crime to participate in commerce."

"You're doing more than selling parts, legally or illegally," Savy spat venomously, somehow managing to loom menacingly while being shorter than everyone. "You're hiding the offlined bodies. You're probably giving him stuff in exchange for all those parts. Tools, equipment, information, and so on. You're helping Nos-4-A2. You're helping that _monster_. And you're going to tell us what dark hole that energy vampire is hiding in."

"Even if what you're saying is true, which I'm not saying it _is_ , what's in it for me? Why should I say anything that'll help you?" he asked sharply. "It would only make me look guilty and probably wouldn't do any good. Not to mention it would hurt my business if my customers found out I was talking about them to the Space Rangers. Some of them value their privacy, after all."

XL tightened his grip on the Fixer and said, "Because Nos-4-A2 kidnapped my little brother. Now, I know that last time we spoke, me and XR weren't on the best of terms. And yeah, I did try to shoot him a few times. And tried to crush him. And tried to tear him apart with g-forces. And stole his body one time to impersonate him to try and blow up Star Command. And… Um, where was I going with this?"

"Nos-4-A2 kidnapping XR and you aren't happy about it?" reminded Savy.

"Right," he continued. "You see, I like XR now. We both work for Star Command and get to see Pops. Which is awesome. And go on family picnics, even if Dad seemed a little reluctant. He probably just wanted to get back to work. Anyway, I like XR. I like my little brother. And Nos-4-A2 kidnapped him. You're helping Nos-4-A2. You're helping him hide on Tradeworld. That's going to change _now_. I want my little brother back now. And if you don't do everything possible to help us, I'm going to consider you just as guilty as the energy vampire. As in I'll blame you just as much for what has been happening to him."

Aiming his other hand at the Fixer's face, XL knew the built-in weapon made his intentions perfectly clear. Subtlety was never XL's specialty, but at least there would be no misunderstandings.

"I've been nice so far. But if you don't help us now, I will completely lose my patience with you. _Understand_?"

"Can I help?" asked Savy with a vicious grin. "I think I still have some of my arsenal still hidden away from the last time the energy vampire was around."

Growing a little paler in XL's grip, the Fixer glanced towards Ty and asked, "Aren't you going to stop him? You can't really just stand there and let your fellow Rangers threaten me."

Ty shrugged and said, "Savy is a _Junior_ Space Ranger or did you miss her uniform? And XL works with paperwork. Neither of them are part of my team. I'm not sure how much authority I have over them. But if you are concerned about their behavior, I suppose I could step out to contact Star Command about how I should proceed in handling this situation. It might take some time, so I'll have to leave you in here for a while. With _them_."

XL grinned. He definitely approve of Ranger Parsec's style. Even with the whole "once or twice turned into a wirewolf and attacked robots" thing, he was actually pretty nice to have around. He played the Good Ranger part while XL did the Bad Ranger role. And Savy apparently did the scary-tough little girl part.

The robot and Savy did their best to look intimidating while the Fixer glanced between everyone nervously. Then, when Ty turned towards the exit as if to leave, the Fixer slumped in XL's grip.

"Fine," he said. "I might have an idea where Nos-4-A2 is staying. The Asimov Robotics factory over in Killerville shut down a while back. It also has a secret room hidden under the main assembly floor. Supposedly for hiding stuff that was… of _questionable_ legality. Small stuff, but things that no one wants an inspector or law enforcement to find and not everyone will develop 'temporary blindness' if you give them a few extra uni-bucks. So yeah, someone supposedly installed a hidden room underneath that doesn't show up on any of the blueprints and I later heard about it. And _maybe_ Nos-4-A2 is using it. But that's all I can tell you."

"I'd ask how he would know about the secret room, but I have a feeling I already know the answer," said Savy, crossing her arms.

The Fixer shrugged and said, "Business is business."

* * *

"The Fixer says to look in the old Asimov Robotics factory," Ty's voice said over the communicator. "There's a secret room under the assembly floor, apparently used for hiding contraband or something originally. It's the perfect place to keep someone locked up."

"Roger that," Buzz replied, turning in flight towards their new destination. "We're on our way. Watch the Fixer closely. We can't risk him contacting Nos-4-A2."

"Considering the way XL is glaring at him, I don't think that'll be a problem. Just be careful. You're heading into the monster's den. It'll be his home turf and that will give him the advantage."

Booster saw the faintest hint of a smile cross the man's grim face as Buzz said, "If we run into trouble, you can always rescue us. I know we can depend on you."

"While it would be a nice change of pace, don't make it necessary. Ranger Parsec out."

Once Ty stopped communicating, Booster was left with nothing to think about except dodging traffic and trying not to think about what they saw on screen earlier. He'd been worried for days to the point Booster couldn't even consider sleeping, but he'd been sure they would find XR. The Space Rangers always succeed. But the recording and then the video conference sowed a little doubt in his mind. XR was in trouble, _serious_ trouble that they needed to save him from.

But they would find him. They would save XR. No matter how bad it looked or how vicious Nos-4-A2 acted when he attacked XR, they would get their teammate back. Everyone would get back to Star Command safe. Booster knew that would happen because they always did. As he flew between increasingly-empty buildings, Booster kept that knowledge firmly in mind.

But even with that absolute certainty, the concern and dread wouldn't completely disappear.

Tradeworld's crowded, loud, urban environment couldn't be more different from the peaceful farms of Jo-Ad. But this particular corner of it seemed nearly abandoned in comparison. Old warehouses and factories made up most of the buildings, the sort of places people like Torque would use for storing illegal merchandise or making shady deals. And their destination only looked worse.

The closed Asimov Robotics factory hadn't been operational in a long time. The walls were discolored with age, the doors practically rusted shut, and the entire place seemed to be on the brink of being condemned. It would be perfect for keeping a low profile. And considering how much trouble Booster was having spotting a way inside, the building would also be an excellent way to contain a prisoner.

His stomach twisted at the idea of XR being trapped inside for so long. He was Booster's best friend and deserved far better. They needed to get inside _now_. Booster eyed the thick doors, trying to decide if he would be able to smash his way through or if they would need to cut their way inside.

"Hey, up here," called Mira, drawing their attention to an upper corner of the factory. "This window is open."

"That's probably how Nos-4-A2 enters and leaves. Good work, Mira," Buzz said as they flew up to join her. "Stay sharp, Rangers. We don't know if the energy vampire is still here."

Mira and Buzz fit through quite easily. Booster, on the other hand, encountered some issues. While a lot of buildings and doors were required to accommodate most of the sentient species in the Galactic Alliance (because making it harder to enter places made it harder to get their money), that didn't extend to windows. The construction of the factory's window didn't take into account that it would someday be the only point of entry and a member of a larger-than-average species might need to squeeze through. But by sucking in his gut and wiggling a little, Booster managed to scrape his way inside.

The interior of the abandoned factory turned out to be creepier than the rundown exterior. Darkness and shadows clung to every corner. Old pieces of machinery sat silently throughout the building, rusting away and coated in dust. Long conveyer belts stretched across the room with pieces of half-constructed metal still on them. And scattered across the floor in a rather morbid display was the still and lifeless forms of offline robots. The Space Rangers were forced to land among the remains.

"I guess he didn't give the Fixer all his victims," said Mira quietly, reaching towards one of them and turning their head to expose puncture marks.

"We're definitely in the right place," Buzz said. "Spread out and search for XR or access to a secret room. Remember, locating him is the priority for this mission. Not capturing the energy vampire."

They gave him a quick nod in response. Like Booster could ever forget _that_. They needed to save his best friend. They could always catch Nos-4-A2 after they got XR back to Star Command and safe.

Swiftly and silently, the Space Rangers moved around the abandoned factory while trying not to disturb the occasional offline robot scattered around. Booster kept glancing over his shoulder in case Nos-4-A2 came swooping down. There was just something so foreboding about the place. There were too many shadowy corners and large machinery to hide behind. He could only imagine what it would be like for XR. The energy vampire and his lair were just plain creepy.

"Anyone find anything yet?" Buzz asked quietly.

"Nothing," said Booster.

"Don't see anything over here," Mira said. "And I don't think Nos-4-A2 is here either. Which is, which is a good thing for us. I mean, it'll make getting out of here easier once we find XR."

As Booster checked on the other side of the conveyer belt, he noticed something about the floor. A few parallel marks ran a short distance. It only took a few moments to realize the marks were from something heavy being dragged repeatedly across the floor and scraping it in the process. Looking a little further, Booster noticed the marks led towards a large piece of machinery. And half-concealed by the shadows, he saw a gap in the floor that was only partially concealed by the machinery. The dust suggested that the machinery hadn't been moved in a while, though. Nos-4-A2 probably just slipped through the already-exposed gap to get in and out. Even half-covered, the opening would still give the energy vampire enough room to slip through.

Booster shoved hard and the piece of machinery moved without any problem, a loud _creak_ echoing around the room. His efforts revealed the rest of the opening. He could now spot a narrow staircase leading down and out of sight. He could also tell there was no chance he would be able to fit. Whoever originally built the secret room didn't have Jo-Adians in mind.

"Good work, Booster," Buzz said, the noise clearly grabbing his and Mira's attention. "Whoever built this might have been clever, but they're no match for the keen instincts of an observant Space Ranger."

Booster quietly thanked him for the praise, but his thoughts were wandering towards what lurked down there. Part of him wanted to shout XR's name. But he held himself back. What if Nos-4-A2 was down there and he ruined the element of surprise? True, the loud sound from moving the equipment and exposing the hidden passage down probably already did that, but he shouldn't risk it. Or even worse. What if he called for his best friend and teammate… and XR didn't answer?

"Mira, you and I will check out this secret room while Booster covers us from out here," Buzz said "If XR is in this building, he'll be down there. But we can't let that energy vampire sneak up on us. Everyone understand?"

Saluting firmly, Booster said, "You got it, Buzz. I won't let you down. Nos-4-A2 won't get past me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you can't figure out what Asimov Robotics factory is a reference to, Isaac Asimov was a famous sci-fi writer. He did a lot with robots in fiction. So I figured this would be a reasonable reference to him and his work.


	9. Return of Hope

The room looked exactly like a combination of a mad scientist lab and a torture chamber. With her vast experience as a Space Ranger, Mira was familiar with both. Zurg alone provided numerous examples over countless missions. This wasn't even the most impressive one she'd ever seen. It was too small and mostly empty to truly be considered intimidating. That didn't change the fact that Mira could _feel_ the frightened and oppressive atmosphere in the tiny space.

She could see the computer screen on the far wall, a work table covered in tools and a box of random objects, and very little light. The main point of focus in the underground room was the inclined table in the center and the robotic parts scattered across the floor, torn out and tossed aside. She and Buzz moved around to the far side. That's when she saw her teammate, still bound in place exactly like the transmission.

XR seemed to be completely offline, dark and silent. His front compartment lay exposed and revealed how thoroughly the energy vampire eviscerated him. Wires, cables, and small components had been gutted out of the robot while everything still in place now bore gashes and claw marks. Mira silently thanked whoever built the secret room for making the doorway too small for Booster. She could barely stand the heart-breaking and horrifying sight of their teammate dangling there like scrap parts; it would shatter the kind and gentle Jo-Adian to see his best friend in this condition.

"See if you can repair enough to get him back online as quickly as possible," said Buzz, the tension in his voice impossible to hide. "I'll try to find something to free him from those cuffs and the bolts. We're working against the clock."

He was right. Mira remembered Nos-4-A2's first video message when he started talking about the artificial intelligence chip. " _The information will begin to corrupt and become erased if he goes without power for too long and he doesn't undergo a proper shutdown sequence_." There was a limit to how long XR could last without power to his systems and even if they tried adding energy to the robot, there wasn't enough of him left intact to work at the moment. XR needed his main systems repaired and power restored before his memory and programming failed. Unfortunately, Mira didn't know how long they had and didn't exactly have the materials to work with. But if she couldn't do it or couldn't do it fast enough, they would lose him.

No pressure then.

Considering how often XR was blown up on missions, the entire team gained some experience when it came to repairing robotics. It only made sense for them to pick up a few things over time just like it made sense for part of Space Ranger training to include some basic first aid skills for the more common species in the Galactic Alliance.

Booster tended to be the one doing on-site repairs, somehow managing even more precise work with his larger hands. But they all learned the basics on how to fix the most common damage to him such as lost limbs and such. Mira knew how to handle smaller problems.

But this… This level of damage was something best left to the LGMs. But they didn't have time to get him back to Star Command. XR needed expert help, but she would have to simply try her best.

Grabbing the most intact pieces from the floor, Mira reached inside and started reconnecting the motor as quickly as possible.

* * *

When he imagined commanding his own team, Ty didn't exactly picture a mix-and-match robot with a criminal record and a little girl with a vicious streak. The pair didn't exactly represent Star Command's finest. But so far, Ty actually approved of them. They didn't spend all their time praising Lightyear to a level he couldn't tolerate, they were competent, and Savy used almost as much sarcasm as he did.

At the moment, Ty guarded the front door of the store while the girl poked around behind the counter. Hopefully she would be smart enough to avoid stealing the Fixer's Uni-bucks in front of witnesses. Ty would hate to arrest her. XL, meanwhile, seemed rather focused on keeping the Fixer pinned against the wall. The robot was taking the "helping the evil energy vampire" thing quite personally and Ty didn't blame him.

"Uh, how long to you plan to keep me here? It isn't exactly comfortable," said the Fixer.

"I don't know. How long do you think it'll take to rescue my little brother and blast Nos-4-A2 into a million smoldering pieces?" XL asked with a slightly maniacal grin. "Of course, if you prefer that I crush you into a greasy smear for helping that monster instead, we can try that."

"Just sit tight a little longer," said Ty, fulfilling his role as the nicer and more reasonable member of the group. "No one plans to hurt you."

"Unless they don't save XR," XL said.

"Or you try to escape and warn the energy vampire," added Savy, a few heavy thumps coming from behind the counter as she messed with something. "Then we'd definitely have to hurt you."

The Fixer gave Ty a look as if begging him to talk some sense into the pair. Ty didn't say a word. The unpleasant fellow should have tried asking someone without a personal history with Nos-4-A2 ruining their life.

Besides, no matter what they were saying, he didn't think XL or Savy would cause any trouble. They didn't have the discipline that most Space Rangers would and they certainly hated the guy for his involvement in this mess. But most of their hate was reserved for the energy vampire and he somehow knew they would listen to him if told them to pull back a little. They would scare and threaten the Fixer for his involvement, but he wasn't their main concern. So Ty left them alone. Maybe this would teach the Fixer to be more careful he did business with in the future.

A sound from the back of the store made everyone freeze. The back door. Of _course_ there was a back door. Ty bit back a curse as he moved behind a shelf for cover. There was no way this would be resolved without a fight.

"Fixer, I require your assistance," shouted Nos-4-A2 as he flew in. "I need a ship headed—"

He broke off, wings halting in mid-flap as the energy vampire caught sight of the group he'd landed in the middle of. For a brief moment, everyone stared in silence. Then a predatory and frustrated expression overtook his face and his eyes glowed brighter.

"The mangy mutt, the street urchin, and the tasty treat with father issues," Nos-4-A2 practically purred. "And here I was expecting Lightyear and his remaining lackeys."

"He's busy with something more important," said Ty, aiming his wrist laser at the robot while trying to keep a lid on his hatred. "Nos-4-A2, there are numerous warrants out for your arrest and that includes being responsible for the kidnapping of a Space Ranger. By the authority of Star Command and the Galactic Alliance, you're under arrest. And if you choose to resist, we'll have to use force. _Happily_."

Dropping his grip on the Fixer and letting him scramble away, XL directed his own weapons at the energy vampire. But while there was clearly rage and hatred on his face, the larger robot looked frightened of Nos-4-A2. Even with his greater size and array of built-in weaponry, XL couldn't completely hide his fear. But he kept his weapons raised and seemed to focus on how much he hated the energy vampire. Ty could relate to that.

Where did Savy vanish? Did she duck completely below the counter?

"I'd rather not, my pet," Nos-4-A2 said before dropping low enough for the shelves of the room to block Ty's shot. Then he turned his glowing gaze towards XL. "But I am in need of a new toy since I seemed to have broken my last one. A bite would be best, but I can't get closer without too many annoyances. Now, my Little One was always resistant to my influence. Let's see if you know your Master's voice. Listen and obey your Master's commands. Fight for your Master. Fight my enemies."

Something in his coaxing and smooth voice had changed, sending a shiver up Ty's spine. He'd heard that tone and saw those red glowing eyes before. And it seemed to have an effect on XL, the bulkier robot wobbling slightly on his feet and shaking his head as if to clear it. Ty took it as a sign to move slightly to the left in an effort to get a clear shot at Nos-4-A2.

"Your Master calls to you. Heed my word. Attack the Space Ranger. Obey your Master."

"Knock it off," shouted Savy, jumping over the counter and opening fire.

Shrieking, Nos-4-A2 dove out of the way of the blast while XL managed to snap out of the hypnotic-like state. The larger robot shook his head, grimaced, and then shot a splash of acid that barely missed the energy vampire. Savy kept chasing after the monster with a blaster that was nearly as large as the girl and almost certainly illegal. And the instant he had an opening, Ty fired and managed to clip Nos-4-A2's cape.

"That brat stole my emergency weapon!" shouted the Fixer, cringing from the spot he chose for cover. "Aren't you going to do anything about it?"

"I'll check to see if you actually have a permit for that weapon later," Ty snapped sharply. "Right now we're kind of busy with an energy vampire."

The fight was turning out to be rather destructive. Weapon fire and acid left their marks all over the establishment. Nos-4-A2 flew and twisted around them, dodging blasts and ducking behind shelves as he tried to get close enough to a target to harm them without being hurt in the process. Hopefully the Fixer invested in some insurance because while Star Command would cover some of the costs of repairs, Savy wasn't exactly a member.

Switching to a more traditional weapon on his other hand, XL shouted, "Hold still so I can blast you into scrap metal. No one hurts my little brother except _me_. And I don't do that anymore."

"You should have stayed dead," added Savy, firing rapidly and destroying a lot of shelves of merchandise in the process.

Nos-4-A2 dodged and whirled around the room, expertly dodging every shot fired. None of them let the energy vampire get close to them. There was a limit to what he could do at a distance. And as long as they kept Nos-4-A2 from trying to hypnotize XL again, they could handle him. Eventually one of them would manage a lucky shot and knock the energy vampire out of the fight.

Hissing, the energy vampire landed briefly on the counter that Savy had long since abandoned. Currently at a bad angle for any of them to land a shot, Nos-4-A2 took the opportunity to stay still a moment, eyes flaring briefly as he bared his fangs at them.

"Why _are_ you here and not Lightyear?" asked Nos-4-A2. Tilting his head, a look of comprehension appeared and he launched himself back into the air. "They went after the Little One. They're still trying to save him. Well, that's simply not going to happen."

With an animalistic shriek, the energy vampire dove towards Ty. The Space Ranger rolled across the floor to dodge before firing after him. Nos-4-A2 kept going, crashing right out the window.

All three of them stampeded towards the front door. But even as he moved as quickly as possible, Ty knew he would be gone by the time they made it out. He stopped right in front of the broken window, the traffic moving past obliviously. There were so many people and robots moving in all directions on the street and through the air alike. The energy vampire had vanished into the crowds of Tradeworld without a trace.

Savy spat out some language that shouldn't be coming out of a little girl. Of course, this was the same girl who stole and fired illegal weapons with expert skill. She would either be an excellent Space Ranger when she grew up or an unstoppable criminal. But for now, she was in the same state as the rest of them: frustrated and with no way to stop the monster now.

"What are we going to do? We can't let him get away with what he's done," said XL. "We can't…"

"We warn Lightyear," Ty said. "And we get out of here before the Fixer complains about the mess. Or one of us shoots the guy."

* * *

"Craters! Why don't any of these tools unscrew these bolts?" asked Buzz as he tossed aside another failure into the box they'd moved to the floor at one point. "And what did he do to these cuffs?"

Mira didn't answer, her hands moving as fast as possible. Twisting wires together and bending pieces of warped metal back to something close to normal, she tried to get XR's basic systems connected again. This was so frustrating and stressful. She was working against the clock and she didn't even know how much time was available in the first place. She knew she could already be too late. But she couldn't think about it and she couldn't pause.

"Buzz, get the charger unit," she said distractedly. "Let's hope this works."

As she finished the most immediate repairs to the best of her abilities, Buzz pulled the charge unit closer to the silent figure. Mira yanked her hands out of the way. It wouldn't do them any good if she ended up electrocuted.

"Stay clear," warned Buzz just in case.

Then he activated the charger until.

* * *

Pain struck hard, energy ripping through his battered and shredded systems. It yanked him back to awareness even before his memory could reassert itself. Fear returned before the memory of _why_. Most of his systems sent back error messages or nothing at all. Then, jumbled together, his memory of who he was and where he was re-established itself.

 _No_. Panic replaced the previous pain of the forcible recharge. _No_ , not again. He could barely see or hear anything with almost all his systems damaged or offlined, but he knew he must be there. Nos-4-A2.

He'd hoped the energy vampire would let him die when everything broke down, that Nos-4-A2 wouldn't bother repairing him. It was the only hope he'd had left. But not even that was enough to escape the nightmare. And he couldn't take anymore. He'd used up his mental and emotional strength. He had nothing left to hold on with.

It didn't matter that he knew he was still bound in place and he couldn't escape anymore than he could the first day. It didn't matter that his coordination and restrained movements were almost as bad as his senses at the moment, too many systems barely operational. And it didn't matter that his motor instantly raced in a rough, ragged, and agonizing fashion. Terror and panic overrode all logic.

Mostly blind and deaf, XR struggled desperately. He couldn't take it. He couldn't do it. Not another draining. Please, no. Why couldn't he just let him go? How long did Nos-4-A2 plan to make him suffer?

Something touched his shoulders, trying to hold him still while muffled sounds barely made it into his processor. Nos-4-A2. The energy vampire's hands were on him again. The fangs would soon follow. The desperate and painful jolting of his racing motor drastically increased. His useless struggles only grew worse.

* * *

Mira didn't know what she expected or hoped would happen, but it wasn't this. When they zapped their teammate and pulled away the charger unit, the robot jerked momentarily before growing still. She'd held her breath until she saw XR's eyes light up. But they were dim. So dim that she might have missed it in a brighter room. And she heard his motor rattling and churning roughly when she normally didn't hear anything.

Then, as if someone flipped a switch, XR freaked out. Even with his limbs still bound and with bolts through them, he abruptly started fighting against them. His head jerked, his body thrashed, and the most heart-breaking whimpering sound of panic came out of him. He seemed completely terrified.

"XR, calm down," said Mira.

"You're safe now. We're here to rescue you, Ranger," Buzz added, placing his hands on the robot's shoulders. "Just hold still so we can get you loose."

XR only reacted worse, fighting against the restrains and the contact. The rough and ragged sounds of his motor only grew faster, louder, and more uneven. And then another sound joined in. It took Mira a moment to even recognize it.

"No… n-no more… n-n-no…"

It was XR's voice, but stammering, fragile, and filled with static. Whatever courage that sustained him when he risked everything to provide a clue had reached its limit. He was scared to death and didn't even acknowledge to their reassurances.

Realization struck Mira hard. He couldn't hear them. Or, judging by how dim his eyes looked, see them. His systems were barely working at all, so it shouldn't surprise her that a few important things were still offline.

"Buzz, I-I don't think he can hear us," she said. "And if he can't hear or see us properly, how would he know it's us with him?"

Letting go of the frantic robot, he muttered, "He's been trapped here with the energy vampire the whole time. He probably thinks we're Nos-4-A2 right now." He took a step back from the inclined table in case it would make things better. "Craters. How are we going to let him know it's us without scaring him worse?"

XR's struggles had eased slightly when Buzz let go, the perceived threat moving away. But he still fought against the bindings and Mira worried he would destroy her makeshift repairs with his desperate movements. They needed to figure out a way to calm him down and let him know he was safe. Preferably before he hurt himself.

Well, being trapped while he couldn't see or hear his surroundings was probably making his panic worse. She knew she would be afraid if she ended up blind, deaf, and unable to move at all. The sheer helplessness would be unbearable. Maybe Mira could at least solve one of those problems. If they couldn't unlock the cuffs or remove the bolts holding his limbs in place, they would simply have to bypass the problem.

Knowing it would undoubtedly make him panic worse at least temporarily, Mira wrapped both arms around the struggling robot. And as her teammate flinched and whimpered at the contact, she called on her heritage and turned the two of them intangible. Supporting his weight, Mira pulled him right through the bindings and bolts. His arms dropped back to his sides instantly when they started ghosting, no longer held in place while stretched out from his body. As quickly and gently as she could, Mira hurried to set him on the floor and pulled away.

Then she realized something about the robot now curled on the ground. XR had stopped moving and the ragged grinding of his struggling motor had slowed.

* * *

Nos-4-A2 had let go for a moment. XR's struggles faded slightly, pain and exhaustion too much for him to maintain that amount of fight. But he didn't completely stop. He knew the monster was still there. He tried to work past the error messages, the offlined systems, and the damage. He tried to get some of his sensors back. He tried to get even a slight glimpse of what was happening, to at least see the next attack coming.

Not know when it would happen was worse than seeing the monster.

But even as he struggled to strengthen the weak and fragmented signals he was receiving for sight and sound, XR physically struggled as much as he still could. It hurt. Everything hurt. Every circuit, every system, and especially his failing motor hurt. But fear and pain overwhelmed his scrambled processor. It hurt to move and fight uselessly within the limits of his bindings, but he couldn't help it.

Something touched him again, making XR flinch. It wrapped around his body, trapping him further and making it hard to struggle. Nos-4-A2. Please, no more. He was about to drain his power again. That had to be it.

Then XR froze in shock. He felt something, a stimuli that always messed with his systems a little and made his sensors react strangely. The LGMs were good, but the technology to properly process the sensation of intangibility didn't exist yet. But even with the mess that his systems were at the moment, he recognized the weird feedback of moving through something that should be solid or when he was no longer solid instead. His arms dropped back to his sides for the first time since Nos-4-A2 captured him. There was only one explanation for why he was being affected by Tangean ghosting powers.

As he was set down on the ground, the bonds that previously held him now gone, XR whispered, "Mira?" The hope that he'd thought was completely extinguished resurfaced and he repeated with slightly more confident, "Mira."

Finally managing a workaround for some of his damaged or completely offlined systems, he rerouted enough power to improve the feedback from his sensors. His hearing improved a little and his vision strengthened enough he could make out a few blurry shapes and colors. White and green of a Space Ranger's uniform, blue and a warm shade of red for _Mira_. Standing a little further back was another blurry shape of white and green, but only a little larger than the one in front of him. _Buzz_.

His friends. Not Nos-4-A2. His _friends_. Relief joined the pain and exhaustion. For the first time in days, XR knew he was safe.

* * *

Mira smiled in relief when she heard her name. The voice was weak, filled with static, and quiet, but he said her name. XR recognized her. He was calming down.

His eyes brightened slightly, though certainly not enough to be considered normal. But her teammate finally looked towards her and Buzz directly. Even with the rather makeshift repairs and the countless holes drilled into him, his expression practically shouted his relief.

"Knew you'd c-c-come," he said in a stammering, static-filled, tired voice. "Di-didn't know if I'd st-st-still be here."

"Of course we would come," said Buzz, clearly ignoring the implications that even XR thought they'd be too late. "We're Space Rangers and you're part of our team. And we never leave a man behind."

XR gave a short rueful chuckle that sounded more like a burst of static before saying, "I really m-miss normal m-m-missions where I just b-blow up."

That startled a small laugh out of Mira. Nothing about this situation was funny. But she couldn't contain her relief at finding their teammate alive and apparently still himself.

"Well, give us a little time to stabilize some of these repairs a bit more and we'll get out of here," said Mira, reaching for a few more pieces from the floor. "When we get back to Star Command, the LGMs will fix you up good as new."

Reaching towards the box of tools that Buzz was using earlier, XR seemed intent on helping speed up the process. After all, how many times had he pulled himself back together after a mild explosion or weapon blast? But his coordination seemed to be just as unreliable as his senses. He missed any of the tools by a large margin and his fingers twitched slightly rather than properly closing. XR grimaced for a moment about the lack of proper response from his body before lowering his arm again.

Mira noticed that he felt warmer than normal. The grinding sound of his motor provided a pretty good explanation for why. Whatever damage the warped metal was doing as they moved against each other was making everything gradually overheat. It was yet another sign they needed to get XR back to Star Command soon.

Looking back toward his teammates, he asked, "Nos-4-A2?"

"We don't know where he is at the moment," Mira admitted.

"Booster is guarding the entrance to this room in case Nos-4-A2 returns," continued Buzz. "He won't be sneaking up on us anytime soon. But the energy vampire's capture is not our main mission goal. We're here to rescue you and get you back to Star Command. We can track down Nos-4-A2 again later."

"R-really hate tha-a-at g-g-guy," XR said tiredly, the static and stuttering sounding worse than before.

Working to stabilize his systems enough that they could get the damaged robot back to where they left the ship, Mira said, "We're not that fond of him right now either. Now hold still. This isn't exactly easy."

"I'll let Booster know how it's going," said Buzz, moving back towards the stairs.

Meaning he would tell Booster that XR was alive. Mira thought it was a great idea. Booster would be up there, his imagination and worry conjuring all sorts of scenarios the longer they left him in the dark. An update would reassure and comfort the worried Jo-Adian. He deserved that reassurance.

Mira gave a distracted nod of acknowledgement as she worked on repairs. She barely noticed as Buzz head back up to the main factory floor. She was too busy trying to remember what XR's inner workings looked like before the energy vampire shredded everything.


End file.
